Secret
by BloodRedRoad
Summary: Rachel wants a normal life but something keeps her from it. James loves her, but will he break the thousand year old rules? What happens when love and heart break get mixed into a deadly war? This is my first EVER fan fiction so its not AS good as the others but lot's of people said that it was good so I hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Secret

Gym. Oh how I hate it. Mr. Williams is so mean, if you don't pull your hair up he will give you detention for a week. I thought as she ran for the thick blue doors well trying to pull my hair thick dark brown hair up into a messy ponytail. Once I got the door open I bolted across the gym to the change rooms. I'm almost there I thought pulling my gym clothes out of my bag but right as I did I hit something hard, a wall maybe. Looking up I noticed it wasn't a wall but a guy, who could I have hit I thought as I backed up, then my sliver-blue eyes met emerald green ones and to my surprise I knew those eyes very well. "Get out of the way James I have to go get changed or I'm going to be marked late again" I said looking up into those endless green eyes. James is my friend, my only friend. We have been friends since James moved in at 8 years old; we watched each other grow up. James is a well-built guy with shining black hair and endless green eyes. He is also about a head taller than me and I'm short so it doesn't help. All the girls in are school try to get him to notice them but he doesn't, he never went out with a girl and I don't think he ever will. "Why are you in such a rush Rachel? And what are we learning today anyway?" James asked with a smile that reached eye to eye. "I already told you I don't want to be late and what are you even doing here? you weren't In my gym class before" I asked eyeing him suspiciously "I was supposed to be but I've always skipped and they found out so now I have to be here or I get expelled" James said grinning " well we're leaning square dancing and move so I can go get changed" I yelled in frustration but he didn't budge so I started to look around him to see if there was a away and when I did I bolted not even pausing to hear what he has to say. When I finally got changed into a long sleeved shirt and sweats I ran to the stands just in time for attendants. "As you all know we're square dancing and since we have a new student everyone will be dancing". Mr. Williams Said eyeing me "once I call your name you and partner may go join a square. Joe-Anna and Steve, Bob and Chantel, Mr. Williams paused for a short breath. "Rachel and James." James? I thought, oh great. I felt a hand grab my wrist, I looked down to see long slender fingers, and a sturdy hand, looking up I saw James pulling me to get moving. He succeeded and got us to the other side if the gym as Mr. Williams put in the cassette tape. As the music started to play I whispered James "hey do you even know what you doing?" I asked "ya a bit, sometimes I would watch you dance when I was skipping" James whispered back and then the voice started to chant 'bow to your partner, bow to you corner, do-si do your corner do-si do you partner, swing you corner, swing your partner' the voice chanted ' now promenade!' James reached for my hand as I reached for his, once our skin touched there were fireworks. Fireworks? Outside? I thought no inside in my head. I could feel myself falling and James arms going around me the only thing holding me up was him, we hit the ground with a thump and as fast as it started it all stopped, the firework stopped going off and I could feel myself again. I opened my eyes a felt James get up. "James" I asked "what happened?" I said as she tried to get her head to stop spinning. " you fell and I caught you" James's voice was as cold as ice " I got to go" James said looking at me then turning around to jog out the door but before he turned there was something in his eyes. He knew what happened. I've got to talk to him.

No I thought no this can't be happening; I've got to do something I can't love Rachel it will get her killed. I've got to leave town, leave and never come back James though as he ran through the hallway to his locker. I'll go home and tell my auntie and leave forever. I'll go to Chicago to circle twilight in the Old Mill James said to himself as he opened his locker and stuffed all this binders and books in his bag and ran for the door, grabbing his keys and ran to his truck and drove straight home not stopping for anything. Once he got home he ran upstairs and dumped his books on the floor and grabbed a bunch of clothes and stuffed it in his bag. "James?" James's auntie Patricia called from downstairs "is that you?" Patricia said coming up the stairs. "Yes" James said trying to find his socks. "What are you doing home so early?" Patricia said walking in the door. "I'm leaving." James said shortly "leaving? Why?" Patricia said concerned "no reason just I'm leaving to Chicago bye" James said grabbing his keys and walked out the door.

The rest of the day was long, so long that I thought I was going to sleep through math but once the last bell of the day rang I ran out of the class and headed straight to my blue punch buggy at the end of the parking lot, fumbling with my keys I opened the door and started the car and just sat there. Where would James go? I asked myself oh course his house. I pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the other side of town, it's a half an hour drive but when you're going 20 miles an hour over the speed limit, it's a ten minute drive. Stopping in front of James's house I noticed that his truck wasn't out here. Well maybe he parked in the back I told myself I'll just go up there and knock and hope he will come. I parked the car and walked up to the door but before I could even but a finger on the door a woman opened the door smiling "hello" she said looking up at me "hi" Rachel said "I'm Rachel, James's friend" I said holding her hand out to shake. "I'm Patricia James's auntie, nice to meet you" Patricia said grabbing my hand and shook it firmly. Patricia looked old, she had pear white hair and looked like she had a hundred wrinkles, she shorter than me but I think it's because she's hunched over and has to walk with a cane. "Is James home" I asked "I really have to talk to him, it's very important" I pled. "No I'm so sorry" Patricia said looking down "he left town and I don't think he'll come back for a while" Patricia bowed her head in sadness. "I'm so sorry" I said holding Patricia's hand "but please if you know where he went please, tell me" I pled trying to get eye contact. "he went to Chicago at a club called circle twilight at the Old Mill on the west side of town, but please child" Patricia said finally looking up at me "don't go there, it's dangerous" she pled searching my face for any sign if interest. "I promise and thank you, I think I will sleep better tonight" I said walking towards my car. Once I got in I buckled up and drove off with the feeling of the old woman's eyes in her back. Chicago is a two day trip and I need to go there so I told my parents that I'm going to Chicago with James for a day and maybe a night and then hanging at his house to study late and they bought it. They know that James and me are really good friends and they trust me. With that I left feeling confident that I can find James. Half way through the trip my car broke down on the side of the road. Bang at it I yelled at myself silently, I phoned a mechanic and he said he would be there in ten, but forty five minutes later he finally rolls up. "Hello little lady, I'm Billy it's nice to meet you" Billy said hoping out if his truck to come lean on my window. "I'm Rachel and your late" I yelled in frustration "sorry I kind of broke down myself, but I'm here now" Billy said smiling "yes you are now get to my hood and fix my car" I yelled again feeling my angry burn inside me. "All right, all right" Billy said getting up from my window and around to the front of the car. He went straight into my headlights so I could see him. Billy was tall, about a head taller than me with dirty blond hair and deep brown eyes. He was wearing what looked like a jumpsuit that was covered in what looked like dirt. After a while of banging around he came back to the window with a hand full of nuts and bolts. "you're going to have to come in to the shop, there is no way that is getting fixed without any help from a machine "Billy said leaning against my window again "alright, but this better be fast" I said getting out of her car to stand and face him. " Oh it will be" Billy said smiling. Just then, there was a whisper in my mind telling me to sleep. I could feel in eyes getting heavy and my world began to spin, I swirled into darkness as my eye closed and I fell to the ground. When I woke up I was stiff and sore. I began to lift my head when I felt a sudden stab of pain in my neck. Gasping I put my hand to my neck where the pain hurt the most, it was warm and slippery. I brought my hand up to my mouth to taste the warm and slippery substance. When my hand touched my mouth copper taste swirled into my throat. Blood I thought this is bad. Getting up so fast it made my head spin, got to find a way out, my brain told me. Wait where is here anyway I asked myself. From what it feels like I'm in a van, the driver compartment is sealed off and I can't find any doors. Feeling around I determent that the van has been striped. The van lurched and came to a stop, a few minutes later I heard footsteps coming around to the back. Sitting up I stud up and braced myself to jump out the door and run. But that moment never came. The door flew open and I leaped praying that I land on my feet and not on my head. As I was flying through the air I felt a hand clasp around my ankle and pulled me down to earth. "Hey now, we don't want to go running off like that" the intruder said shaking his head at me. I could barely hear him because there was agonizing pain ripping up my back. "Now get up, I have something to show you" he said pulling me to my feet. Pain my body was screaming at me. Looking up a saw who he was. "Billy?" I asked flinching as pain ripped up my body "why?" I whispered looking down. "Because sweet heart, I need you to survive. You see I'm not like you, I need something that runs in you" Billy said snickering. "What I…..I don't understand" I said in confusion. Billy rolled his eyes and then smiled a full teeth smile. "Fangs" I whispered to myself "vampire, you're a vampire" I whispered a little louder. "You got it sweet heart, now we are going to a place where there are more of my kin and more" Billy said pulling me into a hug "more?" I asked straggling to get out of the hug. "Yes more, werewolves, shape shifters, and witches" Billy said finally letting me go and pushed me to a 4 story brown building. "What's that? " I said trying to keep his hand off my back. "That" Billy said pointing to the brown building "is the Old Mill, inside is circle twilight an organization for then night people" Billy said pushing me to the front doors "you're going to love it"

Chicago. James said to himself while standing at the bay looking out into the deep water. I haven't been here since 1887. It's been a long time since then. My parents were alive and all was well. I can remember everything perfectly. I was a human back then and I was living with my parents. It was Sunday evening and everything was peaceful. I was on the sidewalk with my friends when a man walked up. He had hair as red as blood and was tall and lean. "Hello kids" the man said smiling down at us. Then he seemed to talk in our mind. He told us not to scream, not to run to just get up and come with him. My friends they got up and started fallowing him, I got up but ran the other way, and I ran for home as fast as my legs carry me. I heard the voice again shouting at me to stop and come back but I ran. Once I got home I was winded and tired but I ran through the front doors and to the living room where I knew my dad would be reading the newspaper and my mom ironing his shirts. I ran into the living room and tripped over something soft. I landed on my face and ended up with a bloody nose. I got up and looked over to see what I tripped over. Horror struck me. Red. Red was everywhere the smell was so strong I could taste the copper. "Daddy" I shirked crawling to where he lay. "Dad?" I asked hoping to see he was alright "daddy?" I whispered softly while my throat closed up and my eyes began to sting. Tears made a path down my cheek and dropped onto my dad's shirt. "Mommy?" I whispered looking around for her. She was nowhere in sight but there was a path of red going into the hallway and into the bedroom. Standing up, I fallowed the path to find my mom's body lying in a clump on the floor. "Mommy?!" I bagged "please mommy, please" I begged shaking her lifeless body. "She's dead" a voice said beside me. "Now are you going to come with me? Silly me I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Hunter Redfern and you're going to have a fun time with me if you come" Hunter said. I looked up at him and then down at my mom's lifeless body. "Ok" I said quietly. Hunter held out he's hand and I grabbed it and he toke me away from that place of evil, but I was young then I didn't know what he was then. I do now. That night Hunter changed me and showed me how to feed and hunt. He watched me grow up. By my 8th birthday I ran away and found myself in the town of Bloomington Illinois. James sighed in anger. Looking back out of the bay James had an idea. I should go to the Circle Twilight at the Old Mill. James thought with a snicker, haven't been there in a while. With that James looked one more time at the bay and left, running full speed to the other side of town.

The inside smelled of sweat, alcohol, cigarettes, and blood. The metallic scent was strong, so strong that I could taste it. "Rick, Will" Billy shouted well waving his arms at the end of the room by the bar and DJ where two figures stud talking. "Look what I got" Billy said pushing me to Rick and Will. "Well look at that we have a toy" Rick snickered catching me in his arms. Rick is and head and a half taller than me with light brown hair and endless black eyes. "She's not your toy, she's mine I found her on the side of the road" Billy said coming up behind me and grabbed me by the hair to pull me out of Ricks hold. Right as Rick let go of me Will came and snatched me right out of Billy hold. "You're going to have fun tonight" Will whispered in my ear. He pulled my head back to expose my throat and bent his head down. Will is about my height with golden blond hair and velvet eyes that seem to glow. Right as Will was inches from my neck. The door slammed opened. Everyone in the room paused and turned their head to the front doors. Will stud up, taking me with him so I finally got to see who everyone was looking at. I froze, blinded with curiosity, fear, and betrayal. I trusted him I yelled at myself, he…he can't be one of these horrible, shellfish things! I know him. He's none of those. Finally Billy broke the silence, "hey James" Billy yelled waving his arms "come see what I found on the road" Billy yelled over the music. James looked in our direction as a cruel smile touched his lips. I'm guessing he can't see me; Will is standing right in front of me. James started in our direction, moving fast, he reached us a few minutes later. "Hey Billy" James said giving him a hug. "It's been a while, how's it going?" Billy asked, stepping back. "It's going but I need to get away from it all for a bit" James said with a smile that reached eye to eye. "While, good thing you came tonight my friend, I've got a toy you can use at any time" Billy said with a laugh as he moved to grab me. Pulling me out into the light, I meet eye contact with James right as Billy grabbed me and pulled me into a hug. I saw something flash in his eyes, pain and something else, fear. He was scared for me or for himself but it was there. James looked different then his normal laid back look. His eyes seemed to have turned hard and his hair was saggy as if it hadn't been cut for months and his clothes were tattered and stained with something dark. "What's wrong James?" Billy asked over my head "jealous I found her first so you can't get dibs? Well to bad she's mine" Billy said with a hiss. Just then James eyes changed to hatred, flaring with regret. James sunk into a fighting stance and hissed. Really hissed, looking at him closely I noticed changes. His eyes became even darker and his skin paler with his hair shining, his lips are fuller; turning a deep red and his teeth became sharp weapons of destruction. Billy hissed and pushed me into Rich's hold. James lunched, fast and elegant, Billy did the same but recklessly. James reached out and grabbed him around the neck, pinning him to the ground. I noticed movement in the corner off my eye and turned my head to see William coming around the back for a surprise attack. "James" I screamed "watch your back" was all I could get out before Rick put his hand over my mouth. I noticed something in Will's hand; it was sharp and made of wood. Will ran straight for James, with the weapon hand leading, I watched horrified has the distanced closed. Will jumped bringing the weapon down on James opened back, at the last second James picked up Billy and turned holding Billy in front of him and the wood hit home stabbing Billy though the back and pierced his heart. James tossed Billy aside and focused on Will. Billy landed beside me and I saw his skin start to turn yellow and leathery and his body collapsed in on its self. Shivering, I turned back to the fight to see that Will was on top of James with another one of those wood sticks. Will was pushing down on the piece of wood, down towards James's heart well James was holding Will's arms up but Will slowly inched the wood closer to James's chest. Struggling in Ricks hold, I moved enough to move his hand so I had a clear shoot. Using all the force I had in me I bit down on his hand hard, so hard it drew blood. He let go of me shrinking and I elbowed him in the ribs making him topple over. Turned around a kicked him in the head at full force, he fell to the floor with a thump and stayed still. I turned my attention to Will and James who at this moment was inches away from death. I gathered all my strength and launched myself at Will, I hit will full force in his ribs with my shoulder witch sent both of us flying. Will was thrown away from James and landed 10 feet away from where he lays panting. I hit the floor head first and went into the darkness inside my head but before it completely swallowed me, I heard a wet thunk and running footsteps towards me. Sorry James I thought I'm sorry and then darkness swirled around me. Opening my eyes I noticed I was looking at something dark with little lights shining in it, my vision cleared I noticed it was the sky. I started to sit up but felt a throbbing pain in the back of my head so decided to just lay here. Then it hit me, where was here? Everything came into view all at once, making my head throb even more. I heard footsteps under me and heavy breathing, slowly looking around I noticed I was moving. I felt strong arms around me and they were surprisingly familiar. "you're up" a husky voice said behind me, snapping my head in that direction a came face to face with a dark blue shirt and lean muscles. Slowly turning my head to look up a bit I saw a familiar face. "James" I sighed in relief, but James's face was anywhere but relived. "We need to talk" James said looking straight ahead not meeting my eye contact, "yes we do" I sighed giving up on trying to make eye contact "where are we going?" I asked looking around again. "To my house, we are only a few minutes away" James said with a voice so cold I shivered, "what happened after I passed out?'" I asked trying to remember " you got out for Ricks hold and came running at me and Will, you knocked him off me and then you got knocked out, I got up a staked Will and toke you and I've been running for about an hour trying to make sure nobody is following us." James said rounding a corner to stand face to face with a battered building with signs that I was painted brown at one time. "What about Rick?" I asked hoping James got him to. "As I was stacking Will, Rick got away. Now no more questions till I get us inside" James said looking down at me with cold eyes witch made me feel small. Nodding he set me down and walked to the building and did something to it and a door opened up. He mentioned me to come, I thought I was going to fall over, but I take my first step and I was surprisingly stable. Still making sure I didn't fall on my face I started to walk to where James stud opening the door for me. After I stepped inside James stepped in and slammed the door shut behind us, I heard lots of clicks and turned in time to see James turning the last of the 5 locks he had on the door. "Is all that needed? I asked staring in disbelieve, "yes" James said pushing me towards the coach. I sat down and James sat down beside me staring at me as if he was waiting for me to scream 'murderer' at the top of my lunges. "So" I said feeling awkward. "Well, what questions do you have? It's probably a lot to take in" James said looking worried "well, ok let's start from the beginning. Why did you leave town?" I asked hoping for a straight answer. "Okay. Let me start from the beginning. One of the reasons I left is because I I'm a vampire and I belong to the night world. It's an organization for vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and werewolves; I've been a vampire for a long time, since 1887" James said looking down at his fingers "1887? You've been a…vampire for 123 years? You're 123. But how I…I watched you grow up" I said not believing in her own words. "I'm getting there, a very old vampire turned me, his name was Hunter Redfern he killed my parents and then turned me I was 5. His blood is that of laimas, it's a type of blood line that allows vampires to grow up and have babies. There are two types of blood that run through the vampire sorority, the laimas and then there's a type that allows you to turn but whatever age you get turned. You stay that age until you get staked." James paused to take a breath. "There are only a few ways to kill a vampire, being staked and fire so being burned." James paused to see if I was fallowing along "so that stick that Will had was a stack?" I asked "yes" James said while nodding his head. "Is that all? I have a question to ask" I said looking into James eyes. "Ya" he said "go ahead" James said running a hand through his hair. "You said that was the first reason, what was the second?" I asked hoping he would give me another straight answer. James flinched at my question and looked uncomfortable. "Well instead of telling you, I'm going to show you" James said reaching for my hand. "What are you talking about?" I asked but James grabbed my hand and the fireworks re-appeared, they weren't painful, they were pleasant. I could feel my body but no control over it, I could feel myself falling and James arms going around me to keep me up but ended up hugging me instead. The fireworks cleared and I could feel something pulling at me, pulling me into his mind, connecting us, a silver cord that hummed peacefully pulling me to enter. The cord disappeared and I found myself in the middle of nowhere, with sliver lights, looking down a saw I had no feet I was floating, I looked to the left and there was light shining through what looked like a wall. Looking to the right I noticed the same thing but the crack was black, there was no light coming through at all. `Where am I?' I thought to myself as I wandered around. `Are brains and souls are connected by that silver cord you saw, and that sliver light you see through that wall is your brain and the other one, is mine. ` James said nodding to the one on the right. "Why is this happening?" I asked floating towards James "there is a theory called the soulmate principal, it is that there is one person in the world for someone" James said looking at the wall. "So does that means where soulmates?" I asked floating closer. Sighing James looked at where I stud or float and came racing to me surprising me he grabbed me into his arms and held on to me not wanting to let go. I rapped my arms around him and dug my head into his chest. "I love you Rachel" James whispered in my ear. "I love you too" Right then I heard noise looking up I saw the walls falling, opening its self for us to see. "What's happening?" I asked afraid that they might fall on us. "hey it's alright" James whispered holding on to me tighter "the walls are the protection of are brain, before when we entered you and me weren't wanting to open up to each other so the walls stud there just waiting to be torn down and well now we want to open up so the walls are falling" James said letting go a bit so I could look around. I let go of James complexly and went to his brain to look around, what I noticed was horrible. Where were crystals sharp and deadly surrounded by black fog, floating around I notice a small area where there was no fog but light warm air and then pictures started to show up there in the crystal. Memories. This one was in winter in my backyard when we were throwing snowballs are each other that one disappeared and another popped up, we were 10 and he surprised me for my birthday by 'kidnapping me' and taking me to a birthday dinner in his backyard. Another one if me when we went to the amusement park and another one of me smiling well eating cotton candy and another one, there are all of me. "This is what you think of me?" I asked staring at the crystal, "yes" James said coming up behind me, "you're the sun in the place of darkness" James said voice turning cold. "Don't do that" I yelled at him "don't you dare turn this place of happiness into something dark like what surrounds us" I said pointing around. "I'm sorry" James said bowing his head "well I'm going to look around" I said going off into a dark part of his mind. As I wondered deeper into his mind everything turned cold and dark. I floated up to a deadly looking crystal. Images started flowing showing horrible memories. One is them I saw blood, lots of blood, and a crying 5 year old boy looking down at his mother's lifeless body. Another one was a 5 year old boy being introduced to a new, dangerous world where vampires, shapeshifters, witches, and werewolves all exist. "Is all this true?" I asked to no one in particular. "Yes" James said coming behind me to look in the crystal. "How?" I asked well turning around to look at him. "Well there is this secret world called Night World, its where vampires, werewolfs, witches and shapeshifters live. Nobody human knows about it." James said looking into my eyes. "Is that who were running from?" I asked turning back to the crystal. "Well sort of, there are only two rules in The Night World: never tell a human about The Night World and never fall in love with a human. The Night World probably doesn't know yet but we have to be safe and Billy's gang is after us now since we killed there leader". Just then there was a loud banging on the door. It was so loud I jumped way from James and broke are connection. The banging continued growing louder with each knock. "Come on" James said pulling at me to fallow him. At first a just sat there, not moving. Frozen in fear and curiosity but with James's strength he pulled one more time a little harder and I went flying into his arms. He picked me put and ran off, flying through the air. We reached the back door right as they broke through the front door. I looked over James's shoulder and saw the intruders. "Vampires" I whispered. They stud there, looking around the empty room, trying to figure out where we went. One of them stud in the front, he looked like the leader. He was short and bulky with a beer belly and a gold beard. He had silver eyes and ash blond hair. Another one behind him was tall and lean. He had a scowl on his face and his hazel eyes shone with hatred, he carelessly pushed back his orange hair from his face. Another one stud facing in our direction, squinting though his heavy set eye brows. He had silver hair and vibrant yellow eyes. James opened the back door and ran at full speed through the empty lot. Just then I heard footsteps fall behind us. "James" I said trying to get my breathing right, "What?" James asked looking down at me. "They know we ran away and are fallow us, we need to find a place to hide" I said curling up tighter in James's arms. James looked around but there was nowhere to hide so he skidded to a stop and turned around. I looked and noticed the changes happening again. His face became paler and his lips fuller turning red as blood ran to them. His eyes turning harder and his hair shining and his fangs bared. The intruders came running to a stop in front of us. James put me down and pushed me behind him. "Stay down and out of the way" James's voice was hard and cold showing no warmth at all. I nodded my head and promised I'd stay out of the way. "Calm down James we are not here to hurt you, we just want the girl" the fat leader said pointing at me. "You are not taking her anywhere, expressly back to Billy's club house" James snarled "Billy? Never heard of him, we are from the council and are resources show that she is the fourth wild power." The leader said taking a step forward but as he did James sank lower into a fighting stance, ready to spring at any moment. The leader held up his hands and toke a step back. "My name is Jacob and this is Dan" Jacob said pointing to his right at guy with a scowl on his face and orange hair. "And this is Chad" Jacob said pointing to his left. Chad was the one the vibrant yellow eyes and silver hair. "As I said we are not here to hurt you, all we want is the girl and you can be on your way" Jacob said slowly taking another step forward. James lowered his arms and slowly stud up, stretching out his back and moving to the left to expose me. "Good boy, now Dan grab her and Chad knock her out" Jacob said mentioning the guys forward. "James?!" I yelled bagging him to come to my rescue. "James? Please help" I bagged as Chad and Dan came running towards her. "JAMES, HELP ME!" I shrieked as Chad and Dan came closer only a few steps away now. James turned and I saw something flash in his eyes. Trust. And a plan. Dan and Chad reached for me then; Dan grabbed my arms and twisted them painfully behind me well Chad toke out a rag. As he started to put it on my mouth when I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye, then Chad's hand disappeared and so did Chad. I looked left and right but he was nowhere to be seen neither was Jacob. Dan caught on to what James was doing and tried to run away, leaving me behind. But he wasn't fast enough, in a flash, too quick for the human eye to see, Dan fell with a stake sticking up out of his chest. There was a brief wind witch left me with goose bumps, looking to the right James was beside me not looking tired or winded at all. "Let's go" James said as he started to pick me up into his arms. "Wait" I yelled stepping out of James's reach "what did Jacob mean when he said I was the fourth wild power?" I asked making sure that I was out of James's reach. "If I promise to tell you when we find some place safe will you come with me?" James said using his vampire speed to catch up with me and grab me. "Well I guess I don't have an option now do I?" I said letting James pick me up. "Nope" James said dashing through the empty lot. An hour or so of just running through the empty streets at midnight we finally got where James wanted to go. Home. The house was eerily quiet; I snuck into my mom's and dad's room to see if they were alive. I opened to door prying disparately that the door didn't squeak or make any noise. Peeking through, I saw nothing but an empty bed. Opening the door all the way I saw something white and shiny, I ran over to the bed I noticed it was a note, it read: Rachel, me and your father are out and will be for a while, good night sweetheart and have a good night sleep. Love mom. "Well at least we won't have to worry about waking them up" James said reading the note over my shoulder, startling me. "Don't do that" I said putting my hand to my heart and turned around to face James. "You scared me" I said in a small voice, staring down at my bright blue socks which were covered in mud from the horrible night. "Sorry" James murmured taking her chin under his fingers, forcing her to look up at him. "We really need to talk about what happened and then you should have a shower and go to bed" James said pulling me tight in his arms. I was thinking of snapping back at him for tell me what to do but being there in his arms made me want to stay there forever and for him to never let go. He pulled back slightly to look down at my face which was buried in his chest. I felt him smile down at me so I looked up and smiled one of my rare full teeth smile. James moved his arms up to cup my cheeks and bent down slowly, giving me time to back up if I wanted to, I didn't. I reached up and starched as far as my body would allow me and went up on my tippy toes closing the gap so we were only inched apart. I stared into the endless emerald green eyes that shone with happiness and so much love and care. I knew that my sliver-blue eyes reflected his showing just as much happiness. Growing impatient, I closed the gab throwing my hands around his neck playing with the end of his hair. For a split second he tensed then I felt him relax, felt him move his hands form my face to my back slowly moving his hands up and down which sent tingles running up my body. Suddenly the pink fog re-appeared swirling inside me making my body heavy. I felt myself being tugged into his mind and this time I let it. I let the sliver cord that connected us pull me into his mind, I let it strip the walls around my brain and expose me, connecting our mind and souls. I felt my body but again failed to control it, my legs shock and gave out pulling me and James down to the ground. James tried to keep me up but just ended up falling to the ground onto his knees, hugging me tighter, kissing me harder. I was in his mind again but this time I went straight to James and flung myself into his strong arms. He buried his head in my hair and I buried my face into his chest, felling at peace and safe. Something kept pulling at me to stop and find out what's wrong. I ignored it but it kept nagging at me, pulling at me to investigate, I tried to ignore it but it was hard. 'Go away' I screamed at myself so violently it knock me out of his mind, so I found myself sitting with my back against the wall and my head on his shoulder with his arms wrapped around me. But James must have heard because he pulled away to look at me with hurt spread all across his face. "What's wrong?" James asked "It's not you I want to go away, it's this nagging feeling. It's annoying" I said moving my hands from my lap to cup his face. "Sorry for startling you" I whispered looking down slowly pulling my hands away from his face. "Rachel. It's ok" James said putting his hands on mine to stop them from moving. I stopped for a second debating whether to get up or stay with James, slowly I started to relax and turn around to face him with my head down. "Rachel what's on your mind?" James asked pulling me close when he noticed I was about to get up. "I didn't want this to end so I never asked but my brain doesn't want me to forget it." I said sighing as I leaned against him again. "What is it?" James asked well playing with my hair to get all the knots and clumps of dirt out of it. "What did Jacob mean when he said 'she's the forth wild power' I don't understand what it means." I said with doubt that he could answer. We just sat there and after 2 minutes I looked up to see his face molded in anger, regret, and fear. "What is it? I have a right to know" I said staring up at his face to see it with the same expression. "James!" I yelled "Tell me" I said in a quiet tone. James finally looked down at me as if he was noticing me for the first time. "I'm so sorry Rachel" James pled burying his head in his hands. "What is it your sorry for? You did nothing wrong" I said carefully peeling his hands from his face. James moved his hands from his head and shot up so fast I didn't have time to balance without him there so I fell on my face. "Why didn't I think of it before?" James raged curling his fingers in a fist. He striked the wall making chucks of plaster fly everywhere. He hit the wall again this time harder punching through the wall and out the other side. James ripped his arm away and spun around to kick a lamp. It spilt in two and fell on the floor beside me. The glass exploded sending chunks of it in my face and body. "James!" I screeched at the top of my lungs "stop!" I screamed. Jumping up I got ready to tackle him, I toke two running steps and flew across the room hitting James in the ribs with my shoulder. My body screamed in pain at me to stop but I never did. We rolled on the floor pushing in the glass that was lodged in my body. Rolling to a stop I tried to roll my shoulders back but found I couldn't. I looking over to my right shoulder I saw it was popped out of its socket. "Damn it" I whispered slowly lifting my crippled body to a sitting position. Taking a deep breath I braced myself to look down at my bloodied body. What I saw horrified me. My arms and legs were covered in blood from the glass fragments. My brown shirt was blood stained with big spots witch where expanding slowly. Taking another deep breath I lifted up my shirt to my bra line. I looked down at my bloodied stomach to find a two inch piece of glass lodged in my stomach. My hands trembled uncontrollably forcing me to drop my shirt. I took a deep breath and looked at the body on the floor. His back was facing me and all I could think was that he was dead that I killed him but that thought vanished when I saw him move. He grumbled something and sat up slowly looking left and right, taking in what he done. I watched him as he took an unsteady breath and looked for me. He scanned the room again and turned around to look behind him. My breath caught as he meet my eye contacted and horror spread across his face. "Rachel" he whispered as he crawled to where I was sitting. I watched his eyes sweep over me looking at every injury. His breath caught when he took a breath in probably smelling the blood, my blood. "Rachel" He said again only stronger reaching towards me with a trembling hand. I resisted pulling away and let him touch my dislocated shoulder. "I'm so sorry" He burst out crying hanging his head low and bring his hands occasionally up to wipe away tears which made a path down his dirt covered face. When a tear fell from his eye and he made no move to wipe it, I did. Reaching up I cupped his face and wiped the tear from its path leaving a smear of blood in its place. He moved his hands from the ground and cupped my hand which was still on his face keeping it there. I moved my other arm ignoring the screaming pain and lifted his chin making him look at me. "I'm so sorry" James whispered again "Shhhhh" I said shaking my head. "But I-" "James I said shhhhh and that means keep quiet" I said cutting him off "Please let me look at you and make sure there's no internal damage" James pled shifting his weight to pick me up. "Ok but don't pick me up, I can walk just help me" I whispered moving his hands away, "Ok" James sighed helping me stand "where to?" He asked as we made our way to the kitchen "The kitchen table" I huffed as I half leaned half limped my way down the hallway. I paused at the stairs looking down trying to figure out how to go down them. In one swift movement I found myself at the kitchen table. "You cheated" I huffed as James helped me up on the table. "I couldn't wait any longer" James sighed carefully lying me down on my back. The dark brown kitchen table was as long as I was and round with four chairs sitting in comfort around the table. James was slowly clearing the blood way to reveal tiny shards of glass and some bigger ones. "This is going to hurt" James moaned. He pick up a pair of tweezers and a cup and worked away moving quick and elegant. After ten minutes he already finished both my arms and was just finishing picking up a few more thumb size piece from my knees. He moved to my face and wiped away the blood that was trying to pour itself in my eyes. He looked over my face only picking up a few pieces and the moved to my stomach. He lifted up my shirt just enough to reveal the two inch glass sticking up out of my body. "This one is really going to hurt" James said throw his teeth as if trying not to breath. Taking a slow deep breath I shut my eyes and whispered "Ok I'm ready" I heard James take a slow breath himself and I braced ,myself because I knew what was coming. It felt like a stinging pain then it began to spread burning through my whole stomach. I heard someone scream and realized it was me, altogether the pain stopped and went numb but now there was a new problem I felt dizzy and light headed from loss of blood. I opened my eyes and looked at my hand; it was holding James's so tight my knuckles where white. I let so of James's hand and put mine to my head trying to get it to stop spinning. "I' .Dizzy." I said slowly lying back down. James moved his hand to his mouth and in one smooth quick motion slit his wrist. He extended his wrist to me and I saw a cut and blood building up at the opening. "What do u want me to do?" I asked staring at his wrist which was right in front of my face. James chuckled silently and moved his wrist to my mouth putting the cut to my lips to let his blood flow down my throat. I sat up and grabbed his wrist holding it to my mouth forcing his blood into my mouth. James's blood wasn't like humans, it didn't taste coppery it was rich and full of life but It ended all too soon. James pulled away his wrist and looked at me smiling a stupid half grin. "Why did you do that?" I asked licking the blood from my lips. "Do what? Give you blood or take my wrist away?" James said turning his head sideway to study me. "Both" I pouted crossing my arms and pursing my lips. "Well one: because you really needed it look down at your body" James said chuckling under his breath at me. I did as he said and looked down; my breach hitched as I studied my arms and legs which were covered in little pink scars and I lifted my shirt and touched the thin pick scar on my belly. "It looks like there weeks old" I said finally letting go of my shirt to look up at James "Yup that's what vampire blood does to you oh and for the second reason why I took away my wrist away was because I didn't want you to suck me dry" James laughed. "Oh" was all I could say before my mind toke me elsewhere. "James? Why did you…." I sucked in a deep breath and continued on "Throw a fit when I asked you what Jacob meant I was the wild power?" I looked at him and all the laughter drained from his eyes. "What are we going to do about your parent's room, because you know, It's a mess." James grumbled deliberately avoiding the question. "Well we could always say we found it like that, we just need to smash a window" I said trying to be cheery. "Rachel that's not funny" James mumbled looking down at our entwined fingers. "I was serious, we could try and make it look like an attempted at a robbery" I said trying to move my right arm again and found it stiff and sore but I ignored the stiffness and put my finger under his chin forcing him to look up at me, he met my eyes and his where filled with tears. "Stop looking down and look at me in the eyes" I said scotching forward so I was sitting on the end of the table "And stop blaming yourself for everything and one other thing" I said reaching up to put my hands around his neck and slowly move forward so that we were inches apart "if you aren't going to tell me then I'm going to have to find out myself" moving a little closer so our lips brushed slightly. "What are you…?" I cut him off before he could finish his sentence by kissing him sweetly then deepen the kiss making James recoil so he backed up into the fridge. I pressed up against him deepening the kiss farther making us both gasp for air. Then I felt myself slip felt the sliver cord pull and for the second time that night I was in his mind but this time I was looking for something, the answer I've been wanting since that night with Jacob what did he mean I was the last wild power. I entered his mind and went into the dark corner in his mind, "Rachel stop" He said from somewhere in the maze of crystals "No James, I got to know the truth" I found the corner and stud in front of the sharp crystal waiting for images to start, when they did I was mesmerized. One of them was of a guy about my age with black hair and big yellow eyes but had a princely form. He stud in front of a boulder and lifted his left arm and made a cut across his wrist as blood swelled up and poured on the ground a blue stream of fire steadily flowed from his arm. It hit the boulder with a heart stopping boom and in the place of the boulder was a pile of dust. That one disappeared and another came up showing a girl with flame red hair and sliver-blue eyes just like my eyes I thought has a fancy train came speeding at the girl with no possible way to survive the blue fire erupted making the camera fuzz and for a moment there was nothing there then the smoke cleared and the fancy train was stopped only inches in front of the girl that one cleared and another one popped up it was another girl with beautiful sliver hair and eyes she wasn't alone there was a panther and a leopard on the grass a long with a girl with strawberry hair and another girl with black hair cut short. But the camera moved in on the thing in the middle, it was a dragon. It was huge maybe twenty feet tall and was nowhere near what you hear in the fairy tales. The girl with silver girl held up he arm and a steady blue stream of blue fire shot from her arm the camera went fuzzy again and when it re-focused there was nothing but a pile of ashes were the dragon once stud. "I don't see why you didn't want me to see this" I said to no one in particular "Ya ok now Rachel can u come out of hiding and stop watching" James said in a rush "Nope" I said a turned back to the crystal. The memories flowed again James in front of a man with Blood red hair. "Hunter" I whispered Hunter was saying something so I focused even harder and caught what he was saying. "When the apocalypse comes it's going to wipe out all the humans and we are going to survive all the Vampires and when that day comes Vampires will rule once again" Hunter cheered " but what about the four wild powers the prophesy talks about. It said they are either going to rule or help end the world" little James said looking up at Hunter "Yes but it also say 'four will come together to stop the apocalypse, four minus one darkness triumphs' and circle Daybreak can't possibly get all four wild powers to stop us, but to be sure we are going to track them down and kill them" Hunter said proud of his words the image swirled and disappeared another one swirled in place. This one James was there and about 17 so this year. "Welcome to circle daybreak James" a man with blond hair and warm brown eyes said smiling warmly at him "Glad to be here" James said tiredly "Do you guys have all the wild powers?" James asked cutting to the chase. "Sadly we only have 3 but the prophesy has never failed us" The man said still smiling "Tell me the prophesy again" James demanded " alright" The man said then he quoted "One from the land of kings long forgotten, one from the hearth which still holds the spark, one from the day world where two eyes are watching and one from the day who changes forms " The man said still smiling "One from the kings long forgotten that would be" "Delos" The man piped in "One from the hearth which still holds the spark that would be" "Iliana" The man cheeped in again " One from the day world where to eyes are watching would be" "Jez" The man said again "and the one from the day who changes forms would be?" James asked the man "A human who doesn't know she or he is a shapeshifter" The man said the picture vanished and with a sudden jerk I was in my body which was on the ground with James's arms wrapped around me tightly. "What did you see" James asked pulling away slightly to look at me "Enough to know that I'm a secret shapeshifter and destined to help save the world plus I meet or saw all of the other wild powers Delos, Jez and Iliana" I smiled. Sighing James pulled me back into a tight embrace and then swiftly carried me up to my room. He put me down on my bed and started to look for my pjs. "How am I a secret shapeshifter?" I asked James who was looking through my draws. "The shapeshifter gen has to run through the family and is past down by the father figure" James said pulling out a long flannel night dress. "But I looked up my family's history and well none of them could be from the Night world" I said refusing to put on my pjs. Sighing James put them down and sat beside me taking me in a bear hug "Have you ever thought what the dad you think is your dad isn't?" James whispered softly "well" then I heard someone at the front door "Must be my mom and dad" I said getting up to meet them at the front door, James fallowed me down staying slightly behind me. "Hi mom and dad" I said as the door swung open. "Hi sweet heart why aren't you in bed and James home?" My mom, Rose asked as she and my dad, Phil walked through the door " Because I couldn't sleep knowing you guys gone and so I asked James to stay so I wouldn't get scared" I said bouncing on the spot. Rose was as tall as me with light brown hair and deep blue eyes. Phil was almost a head taller than me and my mom and had blond hair and brown eyes. This was going to be the hardest question I ever said "Mom is Phil my real dad?" I asked but there reaction said it all. They froze both looking at me then each other with worried expressions "How did you find out?" Phil asked un freezing from his spot "Well because I remember a face when I was born but It was blurry and hard to make out any details then the face was gone for a while and a new face appeared and I knew that those to faces weren't the same but I never thought about it till now" I prayed at them to believe my story. "Ok well sit down on the coach honey and James better go home" My mom said in his direction. "No" Everyone turned to look at me "No, James is staying" I said turning around to look at him in the eyes "I need the support" I said turning around to look a Rose and Phil in the eyes "Only if its ok with him" Phil said looking at me as if I was a crazed person "Yes it's ok" James said putting his hands on my back but low enough so mom and Phil couldn't see. "Ok well go to the coach then" Rose said showing me and James the way. James and I sat on the love seat well Rose and Phil toke the coach "Ok so who was my dad and I can't I remember him" I said straight out wanting to get to the point "Your father's name was Zachery Raska and you can't remember him because right after you were born he disappeared" My mother said her eyes where distant "OK that's all I wanted to know" I said as I went to the front door with James tailing behind me. As I reached for a hug I whispered meet me at my bedroom window and James walked out but I knew he was going to be there. "Night mom and…..dad" I said awkwardly running up the stairs and as I passed there room I knew they were going to be in for a surprise. I shut my door behind me and went to my window and opened it and went to my bed and waited for James to come in. but he never came through the window he opened my door as I was almost asleep. "I thought you were coming through the window" I said pointing to my open window "I did I just went to your parent's room to clean up so they won't have a disaster" James said while sitting on my bed. I shifted so I was able to put my head on his shoulder and have his arms around me. "So did you know the name?" I asked breaking the silence. "Yes he is the head of the shapeshifters so meaning you're a princess and you have a bother his name is Galen" James said with laughter in his voice "A princess? Well then you better start treating me better" I laughed feeling at ease. "We're going to Circle Daybreak today" James said making me stop laughing dead in my tracks "What?! I can't leave my family! My mom and Phil!" I almost screamed "Hey quite down well I was cleaning your parents room a bonked into Phil and implanted in his brain that you were going a really long holiday with me and I did the same to Rose and told them both that they both agreed and that we already left so start packing" James said getting up to find a suit case in my closet "Fine" I said as I went to my dresser and grabbed an arm full of socks, under wear and bras and dumped them in the bag as James put it on my bed then went to my closet and grabbed 5 pair of jeans and 3 pair of shorts plus about 10 pair shirts and stuffed them in my bag then I went to my dresser again and grabbed two pictures of me and my parents and my favorite locket and earrings "here are your tooth brush and hair brush and tooth paste" James handed me the items as I passed by to grab my favorite teddy off the ledge and stuffed everything in my bag. "Ok" I sighed looking around my room one last time "I'm ready" With my suitcase in hand James picked me up and jumped out the window. "So where are we going?" I asked staring out my window. I and James have been driving for about 2 days and I was really getting tired of sleeping in James's black sports car. "Were heading to Las Vegas and we are going to be there in about 10 minutes." James said making weird faces as he was concentrating on something. "What are you thinking about?" I asked shifting in my seat so I could lie down and look at James. "How we are going around Las Vegas and not through it to the other side, sorry" James said sneaking a glance at me "It's alright, I just want to get there as fast as we can" I yawned and rolled over shutting my eyes in the process and fell asleep before I could even count to one. "Rachel" someone said from behind me "Rachel wake up where here" the same person said then I felt a strong warm hand on my back and someone was shaking me. "Go away" I mumbled desperately wanting to get sleep. "Rachel you can sleep when we're inside and don't you want to meet your brother and everyone else?" the voice said but that sentence snapped me right out of my sleep. "There now help carry the stuff in" James said getting out of the car and around to the trunk. I rubbed my eyes and found I was face to face with a white brick wall. Slowly getting out of the car a toke a step backwards and stared at the beautiful vintage building. The house was 5 stories with thousands of windows some of them even have balconies, the front door where huge. They were white heavy steel doors with fancy curved door knobs and with big window on each door. "Never mind I got the bags" James grunted from behind me "oh sorry it just this place is wonderful!" I cried hurrying up to the front door and got ready to knock "Don't knock, we don't want to be bombarded at the door" James huffed as he hurried to catch up with me. "Do we just walk in then?" I asked turning around to face James "yes" James said as he was reaching for the door handle.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey Guys! I just wanted to say that I didn't mean for my characters to meet the Daybreakers but well...it kinda happened. So Rachel from 'The Chosen' is now Raquel and James from 'The Secret Vampire' is now Ben. I'm deeply sorry for the mix and I hope you guys enjoy.

I sadly do not own The Night World, all credits go to L. .

When he opened the door I stepped inside and was awed all over again. The front room was as big as my house! It had a high ceiling and was decorated with very old looking stuff, it was also the living room, and then I saw through the door way the kitchen and looked left and saw another living room I turned right and bumped into someone who was coming down the giant staircase "Oh I'm so sorry" I said backing up to study the person I bumped into. "It's ok" The petite figure said she had dirty blond hair and big warm brown eyes "I'm Hannah, lord Thierry's soulmate everyone calls me Lady Hannah though but I don't care if you call me just Hannah" Lady Hannah said bouncing in place "Hi I'm Rachel, James's soulmate and the last wild power oh and the lost princess of the first house of shapeshifters" I smiled at her "Oh…..oh my….I have to inform Thierry right away and everyone else" Hannah said jumping now "Meet everyone in that living room in half an hour and I'll let you settle in" Hannah singed as she skipped away. "Sorry about that Rachel, now come on lets go choose a room" James said beckoning me up the stairs "Ok and I don't see why you're sorry, I really like her. I said running up the stairs. "Everyone loves Lady Hannah, now let's go" James said picking up the suit cases again and walked to the elevator at the end of the hall. "What floor are we going to?" I asked as I stepped into the elevator. "The top I thought you would like a balcony window" James said as the doors opened again reveling a long hallway. "Come on" James said well taking my hand to lead me down the long hallway to the room at the end. "This is our room" James said opening the door to reveal a room almost as big as mine and my mom's and dad's room put together. As I walked in a saw a king size bed and a master bathroom, I turned around to face the opposite wall and noticed a door. I walked over to the door and opened it to find a living room, I left the living room and ran to the windows I opened the double doors and stepped out on to the balcony, the view toke my breath away. We had a window facing the garden and the sea I loved it. "This is absolutely amazing!" I yelled as I flopped down on the super soft bed. "Don't get comfy we have to go downstairs now" James said as he opened the door. "But…..but I don't wanna go" I wined still lying on the bed. With a sigh James came running towards me with vampire speed and before I knew it we were in the elevator. "HEY! No fair you cheated!" I yelled banging my hands against his chest. "All is fair in love and war, now do you want to be carried out, or can you walk?" James asked as the doors opened. "Walk" I sighed as I turned to go. A few minutes later we were sitting on the coach with a whole bunch of people around us. "Ok everyone, we have two new guests and they are going to introduce themselves and whatever else they want to say and the next person down to the right will go, got it? Ok good" Lord Thierry said meeting everyone in the eyes then landed on me "you first" He said with a smile. "Ummm ok, will my name is Rachel and I'm the last wild power everyone was looking for and well….I don't know how to say this properly but" I paused taking a deep breath in "I'm the lost princess from the first house of shapeshifters" I said in a rush and all around me there where gasped, but the biggest was from this boy with sun blond hair and Blue-silver and green eyes. "Oh my…." He gasped looking at me with awe and excitement. "Ok, we will continue down the line and questions will be asked later" Lord Thierry said. "Ok well then I'm next" This girl to my right said who had waist long black hair and violet eyes, "my name is Keller, and I'm a shapeshifter panther and Galen's soulmate and now I'm a sister". Keller said with a smile that was mostly in her eyes. "Galen it's your turn" Keller said nudging the boy with sun blond hair and silver blue and green eyes. "Hmmm? Oh ya….umm my name is Galen, I'm Keller's soulmate and I'm a shapeshifting leopard, I'm also the prince of the first house of shapeshifters and….and I'm so happy to have found my sister, or more she find us." Galen said with tears in his eyes. "My name is Quinn" Quinn said, he had jet black hair and endless black eyes. "I'm a vampire and my soulmate is Raquel" He said nudging a girl with light brown hair and emerald green eyes. "My name is Raquel and I'm human, I am a retired vampire slayer and I was one of the best". Raquel chanted. "I'm Maggie" Said a girl with shoulder length chest nut brown hair and brown eyes. "I'm a human and soulmates with Delos" Maggie said pointing to her right where a boy with jet black hair and big yellow eyes sat. He was one of the three I saw in James's head. "I'm Delos, I'm a vampire prince and a wild power." Delos said looking at me with awe. "My name is Gillian and I'm a witch and soulmates with David." Gillian said. She has long red hair and amber eyes. "I'm David and I'm human" He said, David has shimmering very dark brown hair with intense blue eyes. "My name is Jez, I'm half human half vampire, and I'm also a wild power" a girl said with curly red hair and sliver-blue eyes. "My name is Morgead, I'm a vampire, and my soulmate is jezebel" He said with a smirk. He has Black hair that always falls in his light green eyes. "I told you before don't call me that idiot" Jez said glaring dangerously at Morgead. "You're the idiot, idiot" Morgead said chuckling to himself. "This isn't over, but because we have a new guest, you won't die tonight" Jez said sweetly but still had a devilish look. "Alright then, my name is poppy and I'm a vampire/witch" Poppy said with a smile she had curly copper hair and eye the colors of the moon, which is a very pale blue. "I'm Ben, Poppy's soulmate and a vampire." Ben said. He had dusty blond hair and clear soft brown eyes. I'm Thea and I'm a witch and my soulmate is Eric" Thea said pointing to a guy with copper blonde hair and green blue eyes. "I'm Eric and I'm a human." Eric said looking at his soulmate with a smile. "My name is Ash and I'm a vampire and soulmates with the beautiful Mary-Lynnette." The vampire with ash blonde hair and ever changing eyes said as he hugged the girl with long straight light brown hair and hazel eyes. "Stop it" Mary-Lynnette yelled as he slapped Ash off her. When Ash finally let her go she smiled up at me. "I'm Mary-Lynnette but just call me Mare and I'm a human." Mare said still smiling "Oh and this idiot is my soulmate" Mare said as she turned to face him and started hitting him again. "Alrighty then my name is Iliana and I'm the lost witch child and a wild power" She squeaked. She had sliver hair and sliver eyes "and I got no soulmate" Iliana said looking down at her toes. "And I'm Thierry and I'm the oldest vampire alive and this is Hannah but I think you already meat no?" Lord Thierry said placing his arm around Lady Hannah's shoulders. "Yes we have meat" I said smiling up at them "OK just one more person, James you're up". Hannah said in cute accent. "Ok, I'm James and I'm a vampire, and my soulmate is Rachel" James said no so thrilled that he had to speak up. "Ok now that we got that done Hannah and I have some business to take care of" Lord Thierry said as he started to slip out of the room. "Talk among yourselves and please do beating today Jez." Lord Thierry said as he closed the door behind him. Right then I felt someone grab me and pull me into a bear hug. "I'm soooooooo happy to have found my long lost sister! Have you already decided your animal?" Galen said hugging me even tighter. "Galen….can't breathe….need. Air" I huffed as Galen let go a bit "sorry" he whispered. "It's ok and no I haven't decided what animal I want to be. I just learned I was a shapeshifter and that I was a wild power two days ago" I sighed not wanting to think anymore. "What's your favorite animal?" Galen asked finally letting me to go sit with Keller a look at me. "Umm my favorite animal? Well I have two, a cougar, and a wolf". I said shyly "wow both really strong animals, when you decided for sure on which animal you want to be come to me and Galen, we can help you" Keller smiled. I'm so happy to have a sister I thought to myself. I turned back on everyone else and they all looked at me as if they wanted me to say something. "Ummmm….I don't really know what to say, this is the first time I've been this speechless right James" I nudge James in the ribs with my elbow but before he could answer Iliana did. "Oh I know! Tell us how you two meet!" Iliana sang and bounced on the spot. "Well only if James wants to 'cause it involves him to" I shrugged and looked at James, he just smiled and nodded that it was ok. "James moved in at 8 years old and he was different, and nobody knew why or could explain it. The boys started to tease him and James at that age was small and skinny." I smiled as I recalled that day. "One day I saw the boy teasing him and I thought to myself that I had to stop it" I laughed as I remembered this part. "At 8 I had and still have a very hard punch, I remember going up to the older boys and James and putting myself in-between them and the boys yelling at me to move, I said no and that's when they started to harass me. I got super mad and punched the leader in the face. The boy looked really mad and tried to catch me, but I ducked and kicked him in the balls. That's when every single one of the boys looked at each other and ran away as fast as they could, literally tripped each other to get away but the leader stay, and so I punched him in the stomach, kicked him in the face and yelled at him for bullying. He was so scared he peed his pants and ran away, I remember then turning around to James and he look frightened 'cause he saw what I did to the guys and I put on my most charming smile and asked if he wanted to be friends, then for once since he moved he smiled and accepted my friendship and we have been friends ever since and ya." I smiled at that memory and then at James who smiled back and moved closer so I could put my head on his shoulder. I looked back out at everyone and they all stared back with OMG expressions. "What?" I asked looking at each and every one and ended with my brother whose face was wide open with his jaw completely dropped. "What?" I demanded this time. "It's just that you are a fighter and we all thought you were someone who would stand back and watch the fight" Raquel said looking at me with awe again. "Why would you think that?" I asked wanting to know the exacted answer. "Well can you blame us, at first glance you look weak and venerable." Ash said studding me. "Oh no I'm not someone to watch a fight I'll be right up on the front lines, I have a black belt in karate and I'm also I wild power and a shapeshifter" I smiled at myself "I'm not afraid" I smirked knowing that I stunned everyone speechless. "I think I know why you chose two animals that are hunters, well it's because you're a hunter Rachel, and you belong in the Night World." Keller said with a smile playing on her lips. "I know what animal I want to be" I announced smiling at my choice. "What is it?" everyone asked. "I want to be, well I'm not going to say you're just going to have to wait and find out yourselves." I smiled as I mention Galen and Keller forward but when James tried to get up Keller pushed him back down. "Changing expressly the first time is hard and dangerous, just let us go and I promise I will bring her back 100% normal. If I don't Galen and you and the first house of the shapeshifters and any friends she made just now will want my head so as you can see I have a lot to think about." Keller said completely serious and with no emotion at all "and plus she's my sister and I don't want to lose her anytime soon" Keller said showing that she really did care. "Alright just be careful" James said sitting back down "I promise" and with that all three of us when into the garden and to the left onto a grassy field. "SO what animal did you pick?" Galen said jumping on the spot with a huge smile spread across his face. "A cougar" I said smiling at my brother excitement "A COUGAR!" Galen roared "mom and dad will be proud" Galen said and then went into serious mode. "Ok you won't have to do this every time you turn but it's a great way to start, now go on your hands and knees, and put your head in-between your shoulders, ok great now consecrate think about a cougar all of its details when you have that think about you becoming a cougar". Galen said with complete seriousness in his voice and I did what he said. I thought about becoming a cougar then I felt my skin begin to tingle and shiver. I felt my body move into form, my spine become long and flexible and my hands turn into paws. I wasn't painful but I screamed anyway. Then everything stopped, it all just stopped, I opened my eyes and saw thing differently more clear and crisp. I looked up and saw Galen and Keller looking down at me with huge smiles on the faces and I knew that I did it, I turned into a cougar. I was gold with a white belly and paws. I felt my nails lengthen and I ran to the house and peeked through the door and saw everyone was there but James. Perfect. I jumped through the door and growled a low dangerous grow that is meant to warn of prey. Everyone froze and then Ash and Delos moved in front of their soulmates Mare and Maggie and everyone else looked ready to fight if I attack. Then James walked through the door and frozen. I turned slightly and growled at him then he smiled and walked towards me. "James what the hell are you doing? That's a cougar!" Mare yelled from behind Ash. "Yes it's a cougar but she's not going to hurt us, guys come on look at the eyes." James moved forward so we were feet apart. Everyone looked in my eyes and saw nothing but pure cougar. I relaxed and went to James and did a half growl and have purr. "You're welcome, you could have been killed!" James yelled. "What the hell is this James? Another one of your pranks?" David yelled from his spot behind Thea. "NO, guys you didn't look in her eyes its Rachel! This is what she meant but you'll see!" James yelled at the group of people in front of him. Everyone gasped at me and stared at me again. "So that's Rachel? How do you know?" Gillian asked taking a step forward. "I can tell because I can feel the cord and I when I look in her eyes I see Rachel" James said reaching is hand forward to pet me. When he did it felt so good, I shivered as he ran is hand up and down my back. Just then Galen and Keller walked in and froze in their tracks. "What's going on here?" Galen asked eyeing everyone then this glaze landed on me. "James claims that that cougar is Rachel, you were with her when you guys went outside, is that her?" Iliana asked looking from me to Galen to James. "Oh course it's Rachel! Who else would it be? We went outside and she told me and Keller she wanted to be a cougar and so we showed her how to do it and she did it, it was her plan all along to scare you guys but she didn't mean for it to go this far right?" Galen asked and looked at me all I did was look up at him and he smiled. "She said right" Galen said stepping in front of me. "How do you know Rachel said yes?" Quinn asked as he sat back down on the coach. "It's a shapeshifter thing, we can communicate without any words, and because Rachel, Galen and I are cats it's a lot stronger" Then Keller whispered in my ear "Ok to turn back go in the same pose and think about being a human and don't worry, you'll be completely clothed" Keller whispered in my ear and I did as she said. "Look she turning back now" Galen said stepping away from me to show me off to the crowd. I thought about being a human again and when I opened my eyes again I was on all fours, completely dressed like Keller said I would be and I was panting. I got up slowly a stud beside James and smiled at everyone. "Sorry for the really big scare, as Galen said I meant to scare you but not this bad" I chuckled and felt the room relax. "Now because cougars have hearing like a bat, eyes that can see anything and everything in the dark, an amazing sense of smell and is very sensitive to the touch you have all those". Keller said looking at me "You can hear like a bat, smell anything and recognize it from very far away, have almost perfect eyes and can feel and sense fear or any other emotion or feeling from across the room. Those senses are weakened as a human but are still strong and as a cougar those senses will multiple by at least 10, oh and as a cougar you can run as fast as any vampire and run at full speed for twice as long as a vampire can" Keller said chuckling under her breath. "Awesome! I feel like I belong" I smiled and jumped up and down on the spot. "Are you coming to bed Rachel?" James asked making me turn around to face him and when I did I felt a sense of him begging. "Ya I should, I had a really long day, and if I want to get up tomorrow I better go." I said as I turned to leave. "Wait!" Said all the girls in the room. "What?" I asked almost out the door. "What room are you in?" Raquel asked, I turned around to see all the girls bouncing in excitement. "Umm we're on the top floor the room all the way at the end of the hallway" I said as I turned to go again "Alright" They called from the room "bye and good night" They all called. "Good night" I called back and ran up the stairs to catch up with James. I got to the elevator and pushed to open the doors, as the doors opened someone grabbed my and pulled me into a bear hug. "James!" I shrieked as I pushed on his chest to let me to. "Don't scare me like that!" I cried and sank to the floor as he let go. "Sorry I was terrified when they didn't see it was you, I thought they were going to kill you and…I can't live without you Rachel, when you were gone, I felt alone and scare and everyone was happy and they were talking to their soulmates well all but Iliana who tried to get me to talk, but I felt so empty and so I left, then I felt your presence and fallowed it to the living room where I saw you in cougar form and everyone else ready to attack if you made one move and seeing you in danger made my soul die" James said looking extremely close to tears. "Hey don't cry" I said as I got up from the corner of the elevator and ran to James and flung myself into his arms. "I'm here and I'll never leave I promise ok?" I said pushing away a bit to look at his face. The doors opened up and I just stud there looking at the distance between the elevator and our room. "Can you carry me?" I asked as I turned my head to look into his beautiful green eyes. "Alright princess" James said as he picked me up bridal style and ran vampire speed to our room. James quickly unlocked the door and throw me on the king bed and before the mattress even stopped bouncing James was beside me looking at me from head to toe. I moved closer so we were inches apart and our breath mingled. James moved forward the rest of the way closing the gap and before I knew it we were kissing. The kiss deepened quickly and went to a bride and husband kiss. I slipped into his mind and felt the cord hum and vibrate strongly. When the fog cleared and we were in each other's minds we ran directly to each other. I hugged him so tight I thought my muscles were going to pop out of their sockets. We stayed like that until I fell into a dreamless sleep. When I woke up I was happy to see that I was fully dressed, I heard a mumble and then felt the warm arms around me and hot breath on my neck. I shifted till I was facing James who was asleep peacefully and I kissed him then went to the window and let the warm morning air wrap around me. Morning? I asked myself, no the sun is too high it's the middle of the afternoon! And with that I ran back to the bed and shock James till he woke up. "What is it?" James asked rubbing his eyes and looked up at me with a lazy smile. "Did you shut off the alarm clock?" I shrieked looking around the room. "Yes because you needed it, don't you feel charged and ready to go?" James asked sitting up to look at me with questions in his eyes. I thought about it the decided that he was right I needed sleep and I did feel re-charged and ready to do anything. "Ok your right" I walked around the bed so I could slip in the covers and snuggle up to James. He put his arms around me and buried his head in my bed head of hair. "Do you want breakfast?" James mumbled against my head. "Yes, are you going to make it?" I lifted my head from his shoulder to look up at him. "If you want me to, or I could get a servant to do it so I could stay here with you." I sensed a pleading in his voice, oh how I loved these new abilities. "Call the servant since you're too lazy to get out of bed." I teased as he reached for the phone on the night stand by the bed. "What do you want?" James asked as he dialed a number. "Ummm, oh I know my favorite! Sunny side up eggs, bacon, on toast with hash browns" I finished right as I heard someone on the other line. James repeated my order and got coffee for himself. Five minutes later came a knock at our door. "Come in" Me and James yelled at the same time. A server with long medium auburn hair and Eden green eyes walked in. "Here is the food you ordered" She said with a light almost musical voice. "Thank you, just put it on the table" I smiled pleasantly at her. She put the food on the table then slightly bowed and walked out the door. "Food" I jumped out of bed and ran to the table, I heard James chuckle under his breath "What?" I asked as I toke a huge bit out of my egg, bacon sandwich. "Nothing it just you" James smiled. He slowly got out of bed and walked towards the table. He reached for his cup of coffee but it was already gone because I had it in my hands and was taking a drink. "Hey!" James laughed and tried to reach for his coffee, but I stepped to the right and toke another long drink before looking up and smiling at him. "Give me my coffee back or you'll be sorry" James lowered his voice and tried to scare me but he was smiling in his eyes and I could feel the amusement and how happy he was. "Nice try but you done scare me, you never have" I lied smiling dangerously at him which said game on "Oh really?" James laughed again and lunged forward but I knew he was going to do that and danced gracefully out of his way. He skidded across the floor as he tried to stop himself but he got too much momentum and slammed into the wall. James fell into a heap on the floor and lay motionless. My first reaction was to go and see if he was alright but I stopped myself and looked at him carefully. With my new eyes I could see he was breathing and I could feel that he was alright so I stayed put and fought against every will in my body. "I know you're alright James" I sighed as I finished his coffee and toke another bit out of my sandwich "I can see that your breathing" I finished my sandwich and started on my hash browns and consumed them in two bits. I was so focused on my hash browns I didn't even see James get up and come running towards me making me knock the table over sending all the dishes shattering on the floor and me and James rolling over each other. When we stopped rolling I was un-top of James and we were both breathing heavy. "I win" James whispered so softly I could barely hear him. We were inching toward each other when a loud banging came from the door making me and James jump apart. "What's with all the noise?" Raquel said from the other side of the door. "Sorry" I yelled getting up off of James "coming!" I yelled as I jumped over the glass and the table. I reached for the door and unlocked it but never got the chance to open it because right as I unlocked the door Raquel, Keller, and Jez came barging though the door. "What happened in here?" Jez gasped looking at the over turned table and the glass. "Well I kind of stole James's coffee and he tried to get it back but I jumped away and he crashed into the wall the I started eating again and forgot he was there and he came charging at me which throw me and James across the room along with the table and Plates." I smiled innocently "Well from downstairs it sounded like a stampede" Keller looked at me with a smirk on her face. "We were coming up here to see if you wanted a tour of the mansion then to train" Raquel smiled taking her eyes off the mess to look at me. "Oh course I'd love a tour but training? I don't know. What is there" taking a step forward towards Raquel, Jez and Keller "Well we go to the training room and you train, you know, train on whatever you like, like fighting or lifting weights and stuff like that" Keller said looking happy and sad at the same time. "Us three we are usually the only girls there because Thea and Gillian and witches so they don't physically fight, Mare and Maggie can't fight Iliana is too lazy, lady Hannah is way too busy and well Poppy is down there sometimes, so basically Jez, Keller and me are the only girls but all the guys are down there at some point." Raquel pointed out. "Alright but I've never used my Wild Power before, is there a way to train for that?" I asked Jez since she was one herself "Delos sometimes Iliana and me usually go out to the court yard and practice" Jez shuck her head at herself "Alright I'll come but I don't have anything to way, you know for working out." I said turning around to find that James cleaned up the glass and table. I made my way to my suitcase to pull out my brush and ponytail. "Here" Keller tossed me a pair of gray sweats and a black tank top. "Wow you guys are prepared, I'll be right out" I made my way to the bathroom carefully stepping over the chunks of glass James was trying to pick up. Stepping out of my clothes I noticed that I haven't had a shower in a while but then decided against it and put on the clothes that Keller gave me and they fit surprisingly well. I tied my hair back into a pony and walked out to see the glass all cleaned and everyone sitting on the bed. "Ok I'm ready let's going." After a brief tour we stopped in front of a Victorian style door. "OK in here" Raquel opened the door and I stepped in to take the view. There was all the new equipment and there was even a boxing ring, everything had its own corner, the boxing ring was tucked in a corner in the far right of the room then there was the exercise equipment in the far left, in the right corner closes to me was were some dummy's and punching bags stud and on the left was a weights and other stuff to lift and right in the center of the room was a big heavy blue mat and there were two people in fighting positions facing each other, the one who's back was towards me has long shaggy Black hair and the other also has black hair and endless black eyes. Jez snuck up behind the one whose hair was behind us and jumped on his back. "AH" he screamed as he fell to the ground. "Morgead u'd be dead if it wasn't me" Jez laughed as she got off of Morgead back and came to stand beside me. Quinn who had the endless black eyes came running with vampire speed at Raquel and pulled her into a hug. I noticed movement and saw Galen coming up behind Keller, but Keller must have sensed him because right as he looped his arms around her waist she stepped out of his reached and smiled as he fall flat on his face. "Ok now where do you want to start?" Keller said still laughing at her soulmate. "Where would be a good place to start?" I looked at Raquel and Quinn who at this moment was play fighting, I think. Then turned my attention to Jez and Morgead who were now on the big blue mat fighting each other, "Well let's test your strength as a human then after we can test your strength as a cougar then we can work on what you need to improve and then work out" Keller said smiling at herself for such an awesome plan. "Alright sounds good, well before I fight one of you guys I'll practice punching at the dummy" I said moving towards the dummy on the stick then I stud in front of it and went into a fighting stance bringing my hands up and slightly bending my knees then I did a right hook and twirled and hit the dummy in to stomach. Once I landed I jumped up in the air and kicked the dummy in the face and then bent down to a crouch and swiped my leg at such a force it knock the dummy right off the stick. I got up smiling at myself for my mini victory; I dusted my hands and turned around to see six people starting at me in disbelief, again. "What?" I asked crossing my arms over my chest to stare right back at them. "Well it toke us months at a time just to do those moves" Jez mumbled looking at Morgead who was sitting on top of her then back at me. "I already told you, I have a black belt in karate and I'm a natural fighter" I shrugged and walked over to the boxing ring and climbed in. "Isn't anyone up of a fight?" I asked looking at Raquel; she was on Quinn's shoulders and had her head resting on the top of his black haired head. "I'll go" Someone said from the doorway, everyone turned to see James leaning against the door frame smiling a smile that meant a challenge. "Alright you're on" I smiled the same smile back as he walked over to the boxing ring and crawled in. "Don't hold back" I hissed as I sank into a fighting stance "But one rule: No vampire speed and or strength well only until I get good enough" I snickered as James's face fell. "Alright I don't need it" He toke a step forward and sank into the stance I saw him use on Billy, I know that that stance was only for lunging and sifting weight so I reacted fast and swiped his legs out from under him then quickly recovered and jumped on him holding down his arms and legs. He got one of his arms free and punched me in the stomach making me topple over and lay down in pain then I saw movement a jumped up to jump on his back and grab his head in a head lock then in one swift movement I pretended to snap his neck. "You're dead, I win" I laughed as I got off his back and started to do my victory dance. "I wanna practice as a cougar now" I said to Keller and Galen who swiftly came into the ring to block me from everyone's sight. This time I changed standing up and found it surprisingly easy. I opened my eyes and looked around at all the people who stared right back at me. Looking up a saw Galen change into a leopard and growled at me slightly which meant he was the one that was going to fight me. "OK" Keller said looking at me then Galen "you will fight Galen first then you'll fight me and when you fight me I'll be in human form so be careful" Keller snickered. She got up and dragged James out of the boxing ring with her. I looked at Galen and he looked back and I heard a voice in my head. "Are you ready?" It asked. I stared at Galen harder and he just shook his head. "We can communicate through are bond, we can also talk to Keller this way but she won't be able to answer back, you try" Galen's voice hummed in my head. "Ok" I thought and sent it at him "Did I do it?" I thought again and shot it to Galen. "Yes you did!" Galen's voice was full of excitement "WE can do this in human form but we can't be very far apart whereas animals we can do it at any time, I told Keller were ready so once she rings the bell we began, the first one to surrender wins." Galen's voice was cut short when the gong sounded making me jump. I calmed down enough to sense Galen moving behind me. Jumping away as his paw that came swooping forward, I turned to see him lying on the ground trying to get his balance back, I toke the advantage and jumped on his back sending us flying into the ropes. Galen squirmed under me and manages to get out making me off balance. Galen leaped forward bringing his jaws inches from my hind quarters, I toke his split second pause and kicked him in the face making blood splatter everywhere. He regained his balance and growled, we circled each other waiting for one of us to make a move. He left his left side unguarded and I lunged forward swiping my paws to make contact with his front leg. I got him but he reeled away and leaped at me before I could regain my balance. He got my front paw in his jaw and crushed it making me wine and limped backwards. He let go and looked at me with sad eyes saying he was sorry, I toke that pause and sprang forward ignoring the burning pain in my right paw and jumped on his back. He dropped to the floor and rolled throwing me off his back and before I could get up he jumped on me and sank his two inch canines into my ribs, I yelp and felt my body beg me give up but I wasn't done. Galen let go to see if I surrendered and I pounced thrashing my claws back and forth. My left paw hit his shoulder blade and sank in deep, he yelped but I jumped forward and brought my jaws to his neck and lightly bit his neck saying that I won. He growled and I let go looking deep into his sliver blue and green eyes. "Lucky shot" Galen whispered in my head, I shot him the death glare and changed into my half form. "Ouch" I winced moving my broken head up to my face so I could examine it. It looked like Galen broke every bone in my hand, this is going to take forever to heal I wined at myself slowly bring my broken hand down to place it on my lap then using my good hand I touched my ribs where Galen bit me. I was surprised to see that it was almost healed, I felt a swift wind blow over me and looked up to see James crouching beside me looking at my hand. "Does it hurt?" James asked with anger and sorrow in his voice. "Well only if I move it" I slowly moved my hand up and winced slowly placing it back down on my lap. "I'm SO sorry Rachel!" Galen ran up to me in his half form with tears welding up in his eyes. "Oh Galen it's….." I got cut of but the up roar of James. "Stay away from her you freak" James screamed taking a step forward making Galen reel back. "I did mean to break her hand….I….." Galen stumbled for words and toke another step backwards, tears leaking down his face. I was so focused on the fight I didn't even notice everyone pilling in the room to see what was all the noise about. I felt someone's hands on my back helping me stand up, I snapped my head to see Jez and Morgead standing beside me and Mare helping me up. I smiled slightly at them and felt happy to know I have friends then a heart stopping crack caught my attention and I sharply turned my head to see James punching Galen and Keller yelling at James to stop. I decided that that was enough and changed into my cougar form once again and jumped in between James and Galen earning a punch in the jaw. I looked up at James and growled low dangerous growl that meant one more move and you're dead. James stepped back raising his arms up to show he surrendered, I growled one more time then turned around to see my brother's body crippled and bruised and he was unconscious. I winded and slowly limped forward keeping my senses on alert for anything, I moved forward and licked his bloodied cheek to see if he would stir, he didn't even flinch so I gave up on that a went to the connection in our minds. "Galen?" I asked with desperation "Galen please, if you can hear me come back, I forgive you, and I got James to stop hitting you. Please Galen! I don't want to lose my only brother" I began to cry and switched into my half form. My tears leaked down my cheeks and dropped onto Galen's face. "I'm not going anywhere" A small weak voice whispered horsy in my head. "Galen!" I shrieked out loud and looked up to my sister who was crying and leaning over him and me, "Did you hear that Keller he's ok!" I cried and slowly got up to hug my sister. "Yes I did and are you ok" Keller asked referring to my broken hand. "Ya but I want to stay here with you and Galen for a bit then I'll go get my hand checked out" I slightly smiled and leaned back down towards Galen but I got stopped midway as arms folded around me pulling me into a giant hug. "Are you sure you're alright?" Mare asked as she pulled back to look at my tear covered face. "Emotionally no, physically no, but I'll live for now" I whispered and pulled her back for another hug then felt another pair of arms around me and I looked over to see Maggie bawling into my shoulder. I turned around to comfort her and felt Mare pull away and another pair of arms around my waist and after a while all the girls where hugging me, even Jez and Raquel and at that point I knew I would have a great life here. All the girls pulled back a I turned to the door where James was longing lazily on the door frame, he smirked and ran up to me using vampire speed to try and pull me into a hug but I stepped back and with all the force I had in my left arm I slapped him across the face. He froze and looked at me with bewilderment and hurt, at that point I didn't care that everyone was there looking at us, my anger boiled and I wanted to get it over with. "How dare you beat up my brother and then smile like nothing is wrong and try to hug me you sick bastard" By the end of my sentence I was screaming my head off. "But…..he hurt you" James's voice was weak and tried "SO! That does not give you the right to beat him up! I hurt him too and you don't see Keller going all crazy on me and trying to beat me up! You hurt my family and by doing that you hurt me way more than any physical damage can be done! I NEVER want to see you again and when Galen is up and healthy again I'm leaving back to my life and I never want to see you following me or anything because if you do I'll KILL you, you fucking bastard and until I leave I'm moving out of your room! Leaving me and my family ALONE! Now leave and never come near me again!" By the end I was sobbing and broken but I did what had to be done. James looked at me with fear, pain, sadness and even more pain but I kept my eyes icy and glared at him until he turned on his heel and left, very quietly crying. When he was out the door I sank to my knees and sobbed until I couldn't anymore. Everyone came over to me and tried to calm me down but nothing worked, eventually everyone left and I was alone curled up in a ball on the floor thinking about nothing and seeing nothing, I was completely numb. About an hour later Keller came by to ask if I wanted to sleep in hers and Galen's room. I nodded yes and let Keller pick me up and carry me to her room. When she opened the door I was surprised to see all my stuff there. Keller carefully put me on their king size bed and pulled the covers up. "You should get some sleep, please sleep well" Keller sounded tired and tears made their way down her face once again. "Thank you Keller for everything, Love you sis" I mumbled as I fell into a dreamless sleep. I woke up with the sound of beeping and a super bright room, snapping my eyes open I saw white and whiter. Everything was white; I looked around and noticed that I was in a hospital with my arm wrapped in a heavy cast. I heard breathing a noticed it wasn't mine; I shifted my head to the left to see Galen in the bed beside me sleeping peacefully. "Your awake" I very tired voice said from beside me. I saw someone sitting in that lumpy hospital chair and she looked awful. Her hair was tangled and un-brushed her eyes had heavy begs under them and her clothes where winked and tattered. "Keller did you get any sleep last night?" I asked examining her one more time. "No" She grumbled "When did I get here?" I asked looked around and the hospital room one more time. "Then I put you to bed the nurses came barging in saying they need to look you over and toke you." Keller whispered right then a guy with bleach blond hair and a tall scrawny body came rushing in. "Oh miss Rachel you're awake, well you may leave now if you wish just make sure you keep that cast elevated and do not get it wet, you'll need to wear it for at least a month". The doctors nasally voice squeaked making me filch. "Ok but want about Galen? How long until he's up and moving again?" I meet the doctor's eyes and want I saw made me sigh with relief. "Galen will be up in about a week" the doctor squeaked again "OK" I sighed and got out of bed and wandered to mine, Keller's and Galen's room. I got dressed and sighed as I found it extremely hard to move, after an hour of getting ready I made my way downstairs to find everyone but James, Galen and Keller sitting at the kitchen table taking, even lord Thierry and lady Hannah was there. "Hello and good morning Rachel how are you feeling?" Thierry's calm voice floated over to me as I grabbed some toast and popped it in the toaster "Horrible" I mumbled lifting my right arm up to put it on the counter. Hannah came running to me and pulled me into a gigantic hug, "everything will get better with time, I promise" Hannah whispered into my ear, I just nodded my head a let go of her when my toast popped up. "Your leaving when Galen is up and walking" Thierry's calm voice continued making me want to scream. "Yes" I grabbed a big blob of butter and plopped it on my toast, "You cannot got alone" Thierry said making me stop spreading butter on my toast. "Why the hell can't I?" I yelled all of a sudden very angry but the look on everyone's faces made me start to cry all over again. "I'm so sorry" I sniffled "I don't know why I'm so emotional" I turned back to my toast and continued to spread butter on it. "It's ok Rachel, what you went through is nothing anyone should go through and you can't go alone because you are the wild power and Hunter is looking for the last one and plus you are from the first house of shapeshifters, any night person would want you dead." Quinn said stepping in for Thierry. "Who is coming with me?" I sighed and turned around to see everyone staring at me. "You're not going to like it" Ash mumbled. "WHAT?" I yelled which sent the house shaking. "I'm sorry Rachel but if you leave this house he as to go with you, Hunter already knows you're a wild power and he will stop at nothing to kill you" Thierry was trying to reason with me but I'll I could think about was James coming with me, urg this is horrible. "That monster beat up my brother! And you want me to be near him?! No way, not possible" I shrieked not caring about my volume. "Rachel I know you're mad at him but he is your soulmate and will do anything for you" Gill put her hand on David's shoulder. "Mad? Oh no I'm not mad I'm furious! He almost killed Galen because he broke my hand, well I hurt Galen too, and I didn't see Keller coming and beating me up!" I became tired all of a sudden and lean against the counter for support, "I can still sense you're in love with him Rachel, just think about it from his point of view. He not only could see but feel the pain you were in and you might not have looked like it on the outside but our whole body said pain and James is very protective of you and when he saw and felt you in pain he toke action not stopping to consider what he was doing so basically when you got hurt he became protective and angry and tried to protect you from the person who caused you that pain and when Galen didn't back down James toke that as a threat and toke action" Thea looked at me with truth written all over her. "If you don't believe me, look at the cord that links you to him, you can feel, hear and sense what he's doing now and also if you look hard you can go back and see, feel and sense what he was going through that day" Thea watched me with a sense of pledging in her eyes. "How do I know you're telling the truth and not trying to make me feel guilty" I snapped "Rachel" I heard a quiet voice coming from the corner, making my eyes snap there "Please Rachel just do it, I can't stand you to arguing because it reminds me to much of…" Maggie trailed of looking at Delos with tears then back at me "Of when Delos tried to kill me" Maggie whispered and began to cry making Delos jump up and comfort her. "Just do it Rachel, basically all of us went through a rough time with are soulmates before we became happy, god I even kick Ash in the shines about 5 times when we first met, then we ended up arguing over every single thing anyone of us said, but in the end when…..a werewolf almost killed Ash and turn me into a werewolf I noticed how much I actuality love him" Mare smiled at Ash and he kissed her making me long for James. "When I met Quinn me and a group of Vampire hunters where going to torture information out of him, then I almost killed him. Twice." Raquel smiled at the thought "Then we became happy with each other and stop trying to kill each other and instead blow up a house full of vampires" Raquel's smile turned evil and devilish. I looked over at Poppy and Ben to hear there horrible story "We got along quite well" Ben laughed but earned an elbow from Poppy "NO! Remember that time when you told Phil you were just using me so Phil could get off you back and then Phil told me and I was so angry I never talked to you for almost a week!" Squealed Poppy who was bouncing up and down on Ben's lap "Oh ya" Ben chuckled trying to hold Poppy down. All eyes turned to the final couple who smiled wickedly "If we told you all of our fights u would be here till we all die!" Jez laughed toppling over well Morgead laughed with her "our biggest one though was when we were stick fighting" Morgead said as he looked at Jez who laughed even harder and fell off her chair. "But I think Thierry and Hannah had the worst one" Thea looked up at lord Thierry "Yes I guess you could say that, on Hannah's 17th birthday she would always die thinking it was me who killed her." Thierry's eyes look troubled and he recalled the thought "It wasn't he thought and in this century Hannah's parents didn't baptize her so if she got killed she wouldn't come back like she always did and this evil vampire named Maya wanted her dead so bad and almost succeeded, when me and Hannah first met in this century Hannah hated me and wanted me dead but as you see she got over that and well here we are" Thierry smiled at the ending "That's horrible, how long did it take you too to be finally together" I asked sinking into the chair forgetting all about my toast. "Well from the cave man days till now so a loooong time ago" Hannah held the o on long for a long time earning a tickle attack from Thierry. "So you see Rachel we all went through something similar and in the end everything turned out alright" Mare looked up from Ash's shoulder to grin at me "Ok I'll think about it, in the mean time I have to go to bed this cast if heavy and draining me of all my energy. " Bye and good night/morning" Everyone called as I made my way up the stairs to my new room. I plopped down on the soft king bed and slowly shut my eyes thinking about what everyone said, all their stories were interesting and they all turned good in the end. I sighed heavily and began to search for the cord, when I found it, it was thin and tight as if it was going to snap at any moment. I wandered over to it and began pulling, opening the cord wider so I could sense and feel James and even his location. I pulled one more time and then this huge wave of emotions, grief, anger, pain, regretful and the biggest one was miserable, he was horribly miserable. A new feeling can through but it wasn't like the rest; it was hunger, as if he hadn't eaten for days. I looked harder and thought about what I was looking for and after a few minutes I was going to give up till a new wave of emotions engulfed me. Agonizing pain that he felt through the cord from me, protectiveness, he wanted to protect me so bad, fear that that I was hurt, and anger towards Galen when he hurt me and when he didn't back way when James told him to, then one that keep hitting me over and over again was how protective he was and how much It hurt him to see me get hurt and not do anything about it. I slipped out of the cord and fell back into my body. I feel like crap now that I know why he did want he did, I've got to talk to him I told myself. Crawling out of bed I made my way to the elevator on the far side of the hallway and pushed the up button. The elevator dinged as I reached the top floor and the doors opened, I made myself walk towards James's room but it stopped there, what I'm I suppose to say? How do I act? Well this is awkward. Carefully bring my left arm up I knock on the door three times and waited for a reply and none came. I brought up my hand again and knock forcefully using all the power I had in me. "Ash, Quinn, and or Morgead if that's you I don't want to hear horrible jokes about Rachel" James grumbled from the other side of the door, god I'm going to kill those losers I thought to myself and answered James. "It's….It's not Ash, Quinn, and or Morgead, its Rachel can I come in?" I stumbled for words feeling totally awkward. "Ash that is not funny! Now leave and never come back" James roared making me jump backwards. "No James it really is me! Open the door and you'll see, I promise." I spoke under my breath but I knew James could hear me. I waited there for a few minutes then heard a series of clicks and the door flew open showing me a horribly keep James and I disastrous room. James's hair was uncombed and it looked like he hadn't showered since that night, he still wore the same clothes and they were winkled and had huge stains on them, his eyes were red and puffy and tears stains had made a clear path down James's face. I looked over James's shoulder to peek at the room, the table was over turned and glass was shattered everywhere, the lamps where broken and torn apart the dressers where completely ripped apart and was awfully damaged. "It really is you" James muttered "yes it is and can I come in?" I requested "Yes of course, sorry about the mess" I made my way to the bed, jumping over the broken Glass and lamp pieces. "I need to talk to you" I uttered and sat on the bed and gently patted the bed beside me. "What do you need to talk about?" James made his way over to the bed and sat down where I patted. I toke a huge steady breath and closed my eyes to start, I never am really good at talking about my feelings. "James I love you but what you did really hurt me, I know Galen made you mad and you wanted to protect me but beating my brother isn't the answer and when you did I got super furious and yelled at you and when I did I felt heart broken and sick. I hate yelling at you and I hate saying mean stuff to you and telling you to go away. I never want to do that but the way you made me feel bumped those feelings aside and the feelings of anger and hatred toke over and it scared me" tears slowly began to make a path down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry for yelling at you, and I never want you to leave me again." I sobbed looking up into James's damp clear green eyes; he raised his hands and touched my cheeks, wiping away the tears that streamed down my face. "No you had a reason to yell at me, I'm sorry for getting so mad and protective and hurting your brother, you can handle yourself I just…I couldn't see you hurt, it hurt me. I'm so sorry Rachel, please forgive me" James toke me into his arms and hugged me fiercely, never wanting to let go. "Apology accepted I've missed you so much" I said into his chest. I take a breath through my nose and I gagged and pushed James away. "You need a shower and a new pair of clothes" I put my hand to my nose to block the smell but it wasn't doing much. "Alright" James turned to go but I felt that sense through the cord, the hunger. "How long has it been since you feed?" I asked catching James off guard. "Umm the night we left I had my last proper meal but otherwise I've been prying on animals why?" James slowly turned to me with worry visible everywhere. "You're hungry and it's strong here" I tugged on the collar of my shirt to show my neck "no Rachel I can't, do that" James sucked in a breath then held it. I moved my hands from my collar and James breathed out a sigh of relief but I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his head down to my neck. He hesitated for a minute then gave in piercing my neck, it felt like a jelly fish sting but it disappeared quickly and all I felt was James's warm lips on my neck. All at once he stopped and quickly moved away from me his hand covering his mouth. "Oh no I shouldn't have done that" James mumbled from behind is hand. "It's ok don't you feel better now?" I looked into his eyes and saw them change glowing an even brighter green, his face became paler and his black hair shining, he look more beautiful. Sighing he toke his hand from his mouth and nodded, "Ok now you should really go and have a shower and I'll get this room cleaned up" James nodded again and went to the bathroom, I called for the servants and apologized for the mess but all they said was they've seen worse….wonder who did that. They cleaned the room in less then and hour and James wasn't even out of the bathroom yet, the room look spotless as if nothing happened. I was so mesmerized but how clean the servants got the room that I didn't hear the door creek behind me and in no time I felt strong, safe arms around me and soft lips on my neck. "I've missed you so much" James mumbled against my neck making me moan in agreement, we backed up to the bed and started kissing long deep and before I knew it I was asleep in James's arms where I belong. I woke up to the sound of knocking and hollering. "Rachel wake up Galen wants to see you!" The voice shouted "Go away" I hollered desperately wanting some sleep. "You should go, Galen wants to see you" I opened my eyes to see James staring long and hard at the door. 'What is it?' I whispered through are soulmate cord 'they bothered me and you from sleeping' James grumbled back and got out of bed to open the door. "Oh hi James" Keller said awkwardly not meeting him in the eyes. "Come on Rachel, Galen really wants to see you" Keller mention me forward as I jumped out of bed and ran to the door in my pjs "can I come, I have to apologize" James whispered look all of a sudden very sad. "Yes" Keller grabbed my hand and led me down the long hallway to the elevator. 'Galen?' I called through mine and Galen's bond 'Rachel? Is that you?' Galen's voice sounded frantic and worried 'yes and what's wrong' I was starting to worry to, I heard him sigh 'I just wanted to make sure you where ok, where are you?' Galen questions 'on the first floor just stepping out the elevator be there soon ok?' 'Ok'. I stepped out of the elevator to see everyone smiling like goofs, "Ya I know, you were right, just get it over with" Then I remembered something important "Wait!" I walked up to where Ash, Quinn, and Morgead were sitting together play video games. They all looked up and I smiled then brought my left hand up and smacked each one in the face. "Hey!" Ash yelled rubbing his cheek, "Um Rachel" I turned to see question looked on Mare, Raquel's and Jez's faces "What was that for?" Jez asked looking murderous but I didn't back down "ask them" I pointed to the three idiots "What did we do?" Morgead roared "Wow you forgot already! Bravo still no answer?" I looked at them and they just read blank "Ok then well I hear that you three where trying to cheer up James well that's alright" I paused for affect now the guys looked scared out of their pants and there soulmates noticed the behavior. "What the hell did you do this time Ash Redfern?" Mare yelled at Ash who sank at her voice. "Well they were making fun of me which I can take bout it's how, let's see if I remember, Morgead you said I was a bitchy slut who whined about everything, Quinn you said that the animal is weak and poor just like me oh and that I'm a sensitive freak and Ash I recall that you said James doesn't deserve me and that I'm a horrible fighter and that I'm not a wild power that I'm just using that to get attention oh and you said and I quote "plus her breasts aren't even big and she doesn't even have a cute ass" un-quote" I smiled devilish as the guys looked wide eyed in terror at their soulmates. "You said WHAT Morgead blackthorn! Oh you're dead now! I can't believe you would say that about someone who was in a terrible fight with their soulmate, Urg! Raquel where are your stakes. Raquel leaned over and whispered into her ear and right as she finished Jez vroomed upstairs into Raquel's and Quinn's room. Morgead got up and ran the other wait shooting me and apology glare. Raquel turned to Quinn with fire in her green eyes "Quinn after EVERTHING we went through I thought you would UNDERSTAND but this has gone too far". Raquel looked at me with a huge apology in her eyes then walked off into the forest behind the mansion. Quinn glared at me but I felt him send me an apology then ran off after Raquel. Mare walked up to Ash to curl up into a ball like a little child. "ASH REDFERN I cannot believe you said that to someone, expressly one of my best friends and an emotional wreck" Ash stud up but right as he did he got kicked in the chines and then slapped. "OW" Ash jumped up and down. "Starting today you are sleeping on the couch and you have to apologies to Rachel with all the heart" Mare yelled at Ash again who stop jumping to look at me in the eyes. "I'm sorry for saying those things about you" Ash looked down at his toes and I knew it was as close as I was going to get. "apology accepted" Mare ran to me and hugged me hard whispering a thousand sorry "Stop saying sorry it's not your back to fault" I laughed and backed up to take James's hand. Mare turned to Ash glared at him then waked away, "come on Galen is probably getting worried" I pulled James along and in on time we go to Galen's room. 'Galen can we come in, were at your door' I asked Galen through are cord 'oh course' Galen said back 'oh and James is here is it alright if he comes in?' I asked but heard no replay. 'Well let me talk to you first then he can come in alright?' 'K'. "I just talked to Galen and he said that he just wants me to go in for a bit then I'll call you in ok?" I turned around to see James's face darkened. "I'll be right back" I let go of James's hand and opened to see Galen sitting up in his back looking healthy and good as new. "Good to see you up again" I rushed over and pulled him onto a genomes hug, he hugged me back but then pulled away and gave me a serious look. "You're leaving" was all he said and I could hear he sadness in his voice. "Yes it's my last year of high school and I really don't want to waste 11 years of misery and I need a break" I looked into his eyes that sparked with determination "I'm coming with you" "no you're not, you're hurt and someone needs to stay here a guard the mansion" I plead "yes I am and no one is stopping me" "Excepted me, you are not coming and that's finally" my voice raised as my anger did. "Stop acting like our mother!" Galen yelled his face bunched up in anger, this is a side of Galen I haven't seen before "I don't even know our mother" Galen's face fell and he looked away with big sad eyes "I'm sorry I forgot, well I'm still coming, I'm your big brother and I'm going to be there so you don't get hurt" His voice was soft and deep "Keller isn't coming with me and she needs you more than ever plus James is coming with me and other people Lord Thierry hasn't mentioned yet". We stayed silent for a minute then I heard a whisper in my brain 'can I come in yet? Keller is getting restless because of all the yelling'. "Galen can Keller and James come in now?" I asked "Ya". 'you can come in now' I said to James, the door burst open to reveal an angry Keller, she walked right up to me making me step back but my room ran out and my back was against the wall. "What did you do to Galen? He never yells like that!" Keller screeched at me, grabbing me around the throat and held me up in the air. "Keller stop" Galen yelled from somewhere behind me, I saw James slowly move towards her but in a split second turned and punched him in the jaw sending him flying across the room only to collapse on the floor unconscious. "Keller stop it this instant or I'm…I'm going to kill myself" Galen crawled out of bed and grabbed a knife and held it against his throat. Keller turned and froze for a second giving me enough time to kick her in the stomach. She reeled away from me holding her stomach, she turned to Galen a kicked he knife out of his hand then pushed him to the bed all well slowly changing forms, I did the same but faster getting down on all fours well Keller strapped Galen into his bed. She turned to me and changed into her full panther form, she's knows how to fight, is strong and has the advantage because of my broken hand and she knew it. We circled each other, I really didn't want to fight Keller, but if she tired I would have to. 'Keller please I don't want to fight you, can we change back and talk' I reasoned 'no' her voice was hard and harsh she jumped forward charging at my right side, I jumped away and then jumped on her back and used all the weight I had and forced her down. She went down but rolled throwing me off to crash with a wall. "No" Galen shrieked trying to get out of his holds, Keller was coming towards me and there was nothing I could do, my hand throbbed I was dizzy and sick but I couldn't give up, I have to fight if I want to live I told myself and slowly stud up facing Keller. She lunged at me but I was already in the air flying high above her, she got too much momentum going and crushed into the wall. Keller growled at me as I landed softly on the bed and began to thaw off Galen's restrained. "Watch out" Galen said and I ducked in time to see a black blur fly over my head. Keller crashed into the wall again and I snapped both of Galen's hand restrains now it was time for the legs, I moved to the legs and started to pick at then but Galen's voice stopped me "Rachel she's going for James, hurry" I jumped off the bed and land just in time I got hit in the head and for a second but thanks to my thick skull that's all it did. I growled and Keller came racing towards me again but stopped in mid strained and collapsed on the floor. I looked up to see Galen there breathing heavily and whispering sorry over and over again. I changed back into my human form and fell the floor beside James who stirred and opened his eyes "What happened" Then him looked around and saw Keller and looked at me "Are you ok?" he lightly touched my hand where the cast use to be "ya she never got me" I huffed and looked at Keller again "What did you do to her?" I reached forward to see if my sister was ok "there is a presser point behind the neck and it shocks the body and mind, in other words you fall asleep" Galen bent down and stroked Keller's hair, I could tell by the concentration on his face that he was talking to her. "Talk to her yourself" Galen stud and Keller shifted, changing into her normal form and sat up looking at me in the eyes but are connection got cut off then James pushed me behind him and hissed. "James its ok, she's not going to hurt me but if you want you can sit beside me" I patted the floor beside me and James moved but kept his eyes on Keller and his body tense. "I'm so sorry I….I don't know what overcame me, I just got so mad when I heard Galen yell and I didn't stop to think about what it would be about, I just wanted to protected him and he's already hurt and in on condition to fight so ya…..I'm so sorry" Keller looked at me with big round eyes. "It's ok, you never hurt me, and I understand, it was the same thing that happened to James remember? So I forgive you" I moved closer and gave my sister a hug, she hesitated for a minute then hugged me back.


	3. Chapter 3

I, Sadly do not own The Night World.

After a few more days it Sunday and the end of Easter break and time for me to go home to finish school. Everyone was waiting at the door for me when I walked down the stairs, I flashed them a smile and went to James and Thierry who were waiting at the door for me, "Rachel I might as well let you know that you won't be going to your house because of what James said you will be going to a cottage out of town a bit oh and that Raquel, Quinn, Jez, Morgead, Ash and Mary-Lynnette will be coming with you." Thierry flashed me a smile as me face fell, "its ok I don't need protection" I said flashing another smile. "We are not going to start this are we?" Thierry gave me a questioning look; "no" I bowed my head in defeat. "We better get going if we want to catch the plane" James said from behind Thierry "alright are we ready to go then?" Raquel asked and everyone turned to me "yes, I'll see all of you I two months and I promise to keep in touch" I turned to go but someone stopped me "Wait" the voice yelled "Galen?" I turned around to see him coming up from the hospital wing downstairs "aren't you supposed to be in bed rest?" I asked him when he stopped in front of me with Keller on his heels. "I needed to give you a hug before you go" Galen reached forward and I meet him halfway not even bothering to try and lift my right arm. "I'll call you when I get there ok?" I pulled back to look at his face. "Why can't we talk when you're on the plane?" "Well because we aren't allowed phones on the plane." I looked at him with questions written all over my face "telepathy" Galen whispered in my head "oh right well I guess I'll talk to you soon, like whenever I'm bored or just want to annoy you" I gave him another heartwarming smile then turned to Keller. "Take care ok" I pulled her into a hug and she hugged me back nodding her head. I pulled away and looked at everyone's grave faces, "Bye see all you guys soon" I waved and turned out the door reaching for James head. We headed for the car and somehow fit all eight of us in a 4 seat car. The drive to the airport was long and boring and when we got on the plane to Chicago I instantly fell asleep on James's shoulder. "Rachel wake up you need to help us carry the bags into the cottage" James lightly touched my shoulder and I sat up starring for a sign of danger but relaxed when my eyes fell on James. "Bad dream?" James snicker "no just I guess I a little more jumpy" I slid off the seat and landed on a dirt road. I looked up to see a cozy 3 story tall cottage surrounded by a light green forest. I picked up the bag at my feet and walked towards the cottage, when I opened the doors the sight surprised me, It was huge but warm and cozy. The kitchen was to my left and the living room was to my right, at the back there were 3 stairs going up into an endless hallway with thousands of doors but the thing that fascinated but scared me the most was that everything is made of wood. "You can go upstairs and choose a room but I would suggest a room far away from Morgead and Jez" James came up behind me carrying all of our bags. "Why?" I turned to face James "you don't want to know" with that I dropped the subject and raced up stairs. I found Mare's and Ash's room then Quinn's and Raquel's and I continue down the hallway till I found Morgead and Jez's all the way at the end, I quickly turned on my heel and bumped into Morgead who scowled at first then a sly smile creep onto his face. "What's up?" Morgead dropped the bags he was carrying and leaned against the wall, blocking the only exit. "I'm looking for a room" I smiled innocently and meet is cold eyes, Morgead eyes darted around when he was satisfied that there was no one around the advanced on me with an eerily predator stance. "It wasn't nice what you did, telling on my like that. Nobody tells on me like that" Morgead snared trying to make me back up into the corner but I stud my ground and eyed him with my iced over eyes. "You deserved it and nice try in scaring me but you're not scary" I smiled as Morgead shot me the death glare. "Watched your back because you'll never know what's behind you. He picked up is beg and marched into his room slamming the door behind him, I shock it off and walked back over to Raquel's and Quinn's room. The one across the hall was empty so I decided that one will do perfectly, I was away from Morgead and when I opened the door the room was like my dream. A large queen bed in the center with a flat screen on the opposite wall, there was a mini bar and refrigerator tucked into the corner. The window was huge, facing the forest on the east side. My favorite part was the window seat, on the sides of the seat there were a ton of books. I slowly lifted up the seat to find a hidden compartment. "This room looks good" a voice said behind me making me jump ten feet in the air, "don't scare me like that" I whirled and looked up into James's emerald green eyes. "Sorry" James came into the room and set the bags on the ground then flopped in bed claiming his side, "Hey! You can't go to sleep now, we have work that needs to get finished." I jumped on James making us roll over onto the ground. "Like what?" James said menacingly throwing me off of him so he could stand and approach me. "Umm well we need to un-pack, when we should make some supper and probably-" James cut me off with his lips, I instantaneously melted and started playing in his soft hair, "why can't we skip the work? After all school is tomorrow" James pulled away slightly to look at me "Ya your right" James moved to kiss me again but I was already gone. I jumped in bed and snuggled under the covers firmly shutting my eyes. I heard James chuckle then felt warm, soft lips on my forehead, "sleep tight". I drifted off into my mind. I hate waking up at 6am but I'm going back to school with all my new friends, it will be like I'm a new person and James will be by my side the entire time making all the girls jealous. I jumped out of bed and didn't even bother to shut off the alarm clock; I knew James would when he got up. Hopping in the shower I let the warm water drizzle over me washing away every one of my thoughts and doubts to leave me feeling at peace. Shutting the water off, I wrapped a towel around me and slipped out of the bathroom, slowly making my way over to my suitcase. I pulled out my favorite washed out skinny jeans and a black shirt and made my way to the bathroom once again. I quickly blow dried and straightened my hair; I looked perfect I thought to myself and walked out of the bathroom to see James still lying in bed. I knew better then to try and shake him away so I when over to the stereo and cranked my favorite song: Lost in the Echo by Linkin Park, I watched satisfied as James fell off the bed into a heap on the floor but then all around me I heard groaning and huge thumps and before I knew it everyone was piled into my and James's room looked mildly started and mad. "Why in hell would you have that thing on at…wait what time is it?" Quinn looked at everyone but they all shock their heads. "7:30 and the limo for school leaves at 8 so your welcome" I smiled at their surprised reaction and laughed as they crawled over each other to get the their rooms. Mary-Lynnette popped back at my door as I turned and notice James gone into the shower. "Rachel?" Mare questioned looking at me with a sadden expression "Yes Mare what's wrong" Walking over to her, I pulled her into a tight hug. "Ash locked me out of our room and he won't open the door, is it alright if I borrow some of you clothes, and get ready here?" "He locked you out of your room?! Oh goodness of course you can get ready here, here is a pair of pants and a tee-shirt, "James is in the bathroom so you'll have to either get ready in the closet or here." I pointed to where I was standing but by her face I knew the answer. "I'll be out as quick as I can and well can I use your brush to? And a pony tail?" Mare walked over to the giant closet and closed the doors. "Yes I'll get them now" I walked over to the bathroom and knocked on the door, "James? Can I come in for a second? I need to grab my brush and a pony tail please." "Alright I'll be just out" and in the very moment a bucket of ice cold water poured all over me. I whipped around to see Morgead on the floor laughing his face off "Morgead Blackthorn! You are so dead" I screamed at the top of my lunges then sprang at him just missing him but a hair. We both stud up and circled each other, Morgead jumped forward, and swung at my face but I ducked and swiped his legs out from under him, he fall to the floor but sprang back up and kicked me in the stomach, I reeled away and was about to kick him when I voice stopped me. "What the hell is going on here?" Jez stormed into the room along with Ash, Quinn, Raquel, James came out of the bathroom, and Mare came out of the closet. Everyone looked at me bewildered then at Morgead and back at me, slowly putting the pieces together. "God, well I was doing a favor of Mare he came in here and dumped a bucket of ice cold water down my back and I take action and punched him" I was shooting daggers at everyone but my eye really iced over when I looked at Morgead. I heard someone try and hide a laugh but failed and burst out laughing, I shot my head in that direction and my eyes fell on Ash who was laughing so hard he dubbed over. His now gold eyes caught mine and he stopped right away because I was giving him the death glare and I knew that the only over person that could pull this look off was Quinn. "It's true, I saw it all" Mare spoke up and walked beside me. "I just have one thing to say to you" I took a step forward to get right in his face and at that one moment he looked terrified but hide it quickly. "Watch you back" and kicked him square in the head knocking him out. I bent over and whispered in his ear. "Nighty night" and Jez came forward a smile plastered on her face and an approving look, "I really do like you" Then she picked up Morgead and dragged him out of the room. All the girls stayed to help me get ready again, and in record time I had a new shirt and jeans on and my hair and make-up re-done and when I jogged downstairs a horn honked. Perfect timing I thought as I picked up an apple and walked to the limo. Everyone was already inside, even Morgead who was rubbing his head. "What class do you have Mare?" I asked as we drove down main St. "Gym, the same as you, James and everyone else. Didn't Thierry tell you that everyone is in all of your classes?" everyone gave me a questioning look. "Nope, well good to know I'll have all my friends in my class!" I cheered "And Morgead" I shot him another glare which he returned. "We're here!" Ash called from the front seat. I scooted over to the window and gazed out of it. The red and brown building stud tall with 3 floors and about one and a half football fields long. People where staring as the limo pulled up and their eyes widen as we all exited. Raquel and Quinn looking proud and fierce, Mare and Ash looking very cute together and I could see all the girls in the area faint at the sight of Ash. Jez and Morgead looking mischievous and devilish and everyone cringing at the sight of them, "Are you ready?" James toke my hand in his and started towards the door. "As ready as I'll ever be" James and I stepped out of the limo and it went deadly silent, all you could here were gasps and books falling to the ground. Whispers burst around us as we walked towards our friends who stud at the door waiting for us, I caught a few words here and there. "He's with her..." "There all so beautiful…" "Why her, why not me?" we all entered the building and went straight to the principal's office, ignoring the stares and gasps. After a short talk with the principle (and a few brain controlling) we all got lockers beside each other and the list of all the kids in the school. I strolled to my locker with James holding my hand smiling as all the girls gave me jealous glances. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" James said well I grabbed my gym clothes and shut my locker. "Hell ya I am" I looked up at James, who just snickered and opened the thick blue doors that enter the gym. Quinn, James, Jez, Ash, and Morgead hissed well Raquel went into a fighting stance. Me and Mare where standing there like dummies until I caught the small. It was rotten and smelled of death, I cranked my head towards the smell, and my eyes located on a body in the far corner of the room. It was yellow and sunk in on its self. "Vampire" Mare whispered. "We need to get the body out of the school before someone else sees him" Raquel looked like she knew what she was doing. Everyone, besides Ash and Mare picked up the body and walked out the doors on the other side of the gym, they chucked the vampire in the garbage and covered him with bags. "Looks like we have a vampire hunter to deal with now" James said dusting off his hands and looked at everyone "who, is the question" Ash said coming out the doors with an arm wrapped around Mare. "It's got to be someone new because otherwise they would have tried to stake James, but there's also a possibility that the vampire hunter could have been here for years and never knew that James was a vampire." I reasoned "who has the list of students?", "I do" Jez reached into her bag and handed me the huge booklet. I skimmed through it, searching for a name I didn't recognize. "Right here, Body McCain and Kelly Richardson, I've never seen these two around before or heard there names, have you?" I handed the booklet to James who looked at it and shock his head "nope, well it looks like there in are math class so, we'll search then but for right now we better get to class." James gave the booklet back to Jez who shoved it in her bag and trudged back inside. "Looks like we have some new students" Mr. William's voice rang out "Rachel mind telling us how they are?" "Ok the girl with the shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes is Mary-Lynnette and the guy beside her with ash blond hair is Ash." I was about to take another breath when Mr. William interrupted me. "Last names" I froze, we decided not to use our last names in case there was someone here working of Hunter. "It's Ash Michaels and Mary-Lynnette Carter" I said Mare's last name because I thought it would be alright. "The girl with black hair and Green eyes is Raquel burns and the guy beside her is Quinn McLain and the girl beside him is Jez Rose and the guy beside her is Morgead Rose." I looked pleased at my decision of last names but I think it was mostly because I got to call Morgead Rose, then Mr. Williams asked "why did you come here, where are you from and how do you know Rachel and James?" "I and Ash came from Springfield, we came here because our parents moved". "Your parents? You guys can't be related" "Well my parents, we adopted Ash" Mare lied smoothly. "And we know Rachel, not James. Rachel's and my parents are friends from school" Mare smiled, she's good at lying on the spot. Mr. Williams gave a short nod then moved on the next couple. "We got moved to a different foster home, and I went to school with Mare before she moved so I and Quinn didn't know Rachel or James." Raquel stud tall and I knew most of that lie was true. Again Mr. Williams gave a short nod and looked at Jez and Morgead "we've lived here all our lives but are parents homeschooled us and I knew James but only a little bit". Morgead once again lied and told the truth at the same time. "Alright since we got that all sorted through we are going to run an obstacle course today, to begin to show the newbies how it's done, James, and Rachel will so first." Mr. Williams snickered, he knew I failed at obstacle courses and he just wanted to humiliate me but did he have a surprise coming. "Rachel, I know you really want to show off but you have to be careful about how much strength and speed you use ok?" James grabbed my hand to make me look at him "Ok?" he repeated "ok". We went up to the start line and I looked at the first obstacle, a wall and the only way over it was to use the rope, to easy. "GO!" Mr. Williams yelled and I speed off using lots of speed but being careful not to run to fast, I sprang at the rope and began to climb, barely noticing that I wasn't using my feet only pulling myself up with my hands. Once I got to the top I jumped, not really minding the height. Lading like a cat, I sprinted to the tires easily jumping through each hole. I came across a thin bridge beam, I paused for just a second then started running up the beam. The beam began to slop and at the end there where tiny stepping stones. Carefully jumping I landed on the ground and jogged to the monkey bars. I leaped up and caught the first bar then began skipping two as I went, once I landed a came across a pit of water with a rope to swing over. Not even glancing at the rope, I jumped over and landed softly then sprinted to the finish line. I crossed the finish line and started doing a victory dance. "Rachel" James came up beside me looking fierce. "Yes Jamie?" I used the nickname I gave him years ago. "What was that?" James yelled at me through the soulmate cord. I flinched at the intensity of his voice, "I did the obstacle course Jamie, why are you so mad?" I shot back. "Because you did it a little too well" James looked at me and then turned to look at Quinn. I stared bewilder until images floated onto my head, I knew that they were from Quinn because he was a strong telepath. The images showed me leaping from impossible heights and not hurting myself at all and not tripping over the tires and running up an impossible beam without any difficulty then jumping 10 feet and landing as softly as I did. "Oh" I said as the images left my mind as quickly as they came. "Rachel…h-how did you do that so flawlessly?" Mr. Williams stumbled for words. "During spring break I practiced a lot, I wanted to improve." I smiled and hoped he believed my lie. "Well class that's all, go change" Mr. Williams let us go even though there was about a half an hour of class left. Social studies and English went by in a blur, everyone wanted to sit with me. Basically we were the "popular" people in our school and I don't like it, I need my privacy and that doesn't happen when everyone wants to be around you. At lunch we sat in the back corner but before we could even start talking or eating this very pretty girl came up. She had strawberry blond hair and wicked gray eyes. "Hello my name is Kelly Richardson, I'm new here and I was wondering if I could sit with you guys." She smiled the most breath taking smile and I looked at Quinn and Raquel who nodded yes. "Yes of course, my name is Rachel and that's my boyfriend James" Kelly came and sat beside me nodding a hello at James "that's Jez and her boyfriend Morgead and that's Quinn and his girlfriend Raquel and over there is Mary-Lynnette and her boyfriend Ash." Kelly nodded hello and eyed everyone. "Can I just say that you are all so beautiful?" Kelly squeaked and bounced lightly in her seat. "It can't be her, she seems too much like Iliana." I thought to James who nodded his head in agreement and shot the message out to everyone. They nodded their head in agreement and we started to eat, making it look like we ate most of it. "How do you like it here Kelly?" I asked trying to break the silence, "It's really nice, I haven't made any friends put I'm planning to." Kelly smiled and looked back down at her food. "What classes do you have this afternoon?" Mary-Lynnette caught my eye and winked, "Umm after lunch I have math then science, art and French" "wonderful!" I cheered and grabbed Kelly by her slender shoulders "I have all those classes, well Ash, Raquel, and me have math, Mary-Lynette, Morgead, and me have science then James, Jez and me have art and it's Quinn and me in French with you" Kelly face perked up and I smiled in delight, I knew I was going to like her. "Yay, this is going to be great!" Kelly was basically jumping in her seat. "Us girls will give you pointers on who to stay away and stuff like that" I snuck a quick wink at Jez's, Raquel's and Mary-Lynette' confused faces. "Can we go now? I'm so excited" Kelly jumped up grabbed her bag then basically dragged me to math with Ash and Raquel fallowing me. I waved at James who smiled and waved back at me. Even though we left the table early we arrived at class late because of everyone who wanted to talk to us and give Kelly dirty stares. We stepped in class and everyone turned to look at us. The teacher, Miss. Furhuck, glared evilly at us. "Your late" she snapped, "yes we are and we sorry but we brought the new student" I moved to the left and Kelly waved and smiled brilliantly. "Since you have brought her, you will get away with a warning but be late one more time and it detention for all of you. Now take your seats" Miss Furhuck turned back to the white board and we scurried to the only seats left. Kelly and I sat right at the front of the class and I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Raquel and Ash sat all the way at the back. Math class was boring. We just talked about fractions, who needs fractions in their lives? Defiantly not me. Brody McCain was tall and honey blond and he kept staring at me with his olive green eyes making me shift uncomfortably. The bell rang making me sigh in relief, I quickly gathered my things and basically ran out the door, ignoring all the odd looks I got. Once outside the class room, I slummed on the locker and let out a breath I seemed to be holding. "Why hello there" the deep voice whispered in my ear making me jump backwards. I scowled up at the olive green eyes that looked down at me in delight. "What?" I snapped willing myself to calm down. "Your beauty, it's so perfect" he reached out and touched a stand on my hair. "Your perfect" He moved closer and I was frozen, I couldn't run or tell him to stop. When he was inches from my face a voice snapped me out of it. "Stay away from her" Brody turned away from me and glared dangerously at James who was tense. "You're going to stop me? Ha please" Brody leaned up against the locker and put his arm around me. "She's mine now" my anger boiled and I slapped his arm away from me. "I'm not yours and I'll never be yours" I turned to face him and using a hint of my super natural strength I slapped him across the face. Laughing as he fell to the floor and looked hurt, I backed up to James how put his arm protectively around me started to pull away. "Haha I like I tough girl." Brody stud up and smiled at me. "U'll see sweetheart, you will be mine in the end." I tensed and felt James's arm around me tighten as we walked away. For the rest of the day I'll I could think about was how much I really wanted to kiss brody. I jumped at the sound of my alarm clock which beeped furiously. I really didn't want to go to school so I rolled over to the night stand, picked up my alarm clock, giving it a violent yank and when the black clock cord popped out of the wall I chucked it across the room. Smiling as I heard a loud shatter, I slowly lowed my head to my pillow and closed my eyes, giving into the dark unconscious that swirled in my head begging for sleep. "Why did you do what?" James's deep voice kept me from my slumber. "Because I don't want to go to school, it's stupid and I hate it" I mumbled and turned over to lay on my stomach. "No you don't, what's wrong?" James pulled me onto his lap "I don't want to go to school" I laid my head down on him broad chest and relaxed into his arms. "Rachel, please tell me what's wrong" I sighed and decided to tell him the truth, but only part of it. "I don't want to go to school because of Brody" I felt his arms close safely around me and pull me closer to his warm chest. "I'd never let anyone hurt you now come on we have to get ready" James pulled me up with him and carried me to the bathroom. "Now hurry and have a shower" He closed the door behind and before I knew it the stereo was blaring and there where heavy thumps and lots of moans of anger. When we arrived at school sure enough Brody was there leaning up against the flag pole. "Hey baby was shaken?" Brody stepped forward and placed his long arms around me. "Not you" I shoved him away from me and moved closer to James and my friends. "Give me a chance to prove myself baby" Brody stepped in pace with us and tried to place his arm around me again. Jez stepped closer to me and grabbed his arm and twisted hard. "Ow, who knew a girl could be so strong." Brody got his arm free and made a move towards Jez when Morgead punched him in the face. "Stay away from my girl" and with that we left Brody on the cement wildling in pain on the ground. The morning went by slowly and I almost fell asleep. Twice. By lunch I was grumpy and tired but when I saw James sitting there with a giant smile on his face my whole just lightened up day. "Hello I see you're all cheery" James said as I sat down beside him. "Well I haven't seen Brody all morning, and being with you makes me happy" I smiled as James bend down to kiss me. "Gag" Morgead pretended to throw up as he sat down across from James with Jez and Mare right behind him. "Where's Quinn and Ash?" I glared at Morgead and then turned my attention to Mare who sat beside me. "Ash and Quinn pulled a prank on the teacher and well the teacher didn't really think it was funny. There in the class room getting yelled at by the teacher." "Alright but then where's Raquel?" "Right here, sorry I'm late I was just picking up the trash" Raquel dragged in Quinn and Ash who looked down in utter defeat. "How'd it go Ash?" Mare put her head on his shoulder as he sat down beside her. He sighed, hugged her close and kissed her lightly, detention for a week but man, you should have seen it, and it was one of my best pranks yet!" Ash leaped up from his chair nocking Mare over, making her fall to the floor. "Sorry honey" Ash bent over and picked up Mare, putting her on his lap. "It's ok" Mare looked up and quickly kissed Ash. "Hey guys" Kelly said as she walked towards the table and sat down on the on seat left between James and Quinn. "What's up?" Kelly smiled and put her lunch try on the table. "Trouble" Quinn muttered and starred off. We all turned to see what he was looking and when I saw I could only agree. Brody was headed in our direction. "You're right that is trouble." I mumbled and felt James tense beside me. "Hey baby have you changed your mind to dump the trash and come crawling over to the king." Brody smirked and bend down across the table putting a finger under my chin forcing me to look up at him. "Yes I have. So run along now trash, I'm among kings." I smiled devilishly as his face fell into confusion then anger. "Good one Rachel" Ash high fived me which I gladly returned, "I will have you even if I have to kill everyone to get it." Brody leaned close to Mare who was still sitting on Ash's lap, you could tell she was frightened but she did her best to stay strong, she stud her ground and looked at him squarely in the face. "Starting with you" Brody reached forward and creased Mare's check. She didn't flinch, she raised her hand and slapped him across the face, but she's not nearly as strong as any of us so once Brody got over the shock he starred at her so fiercely, Mare visibly cringed against Ash who stud up and pushed Mare behind him. He growled and advanced on Brody who tried to hid his fear but fell a step back, "What did you say to my soulmate?" Ash's voice was low and deadly, I've never seen him like his but I guess when someone threatens your soulmate you become someone else. "Soulmate? Ha you guys supposed to be together forever or something?" Brody laughed, Ash stopped and pain crossed his face, Mary-Lynnette had said that she wanted to grow up and die old so her and Ash won't be together forever and that must hurt Ash. Not being able to spend eternity with his one true love that must really hurt. "Hey Brody!" I stud up from my chair and stepped in front of Ash. "Hate to brake you delicate bubble but you won't be able to kill anyone of us, you see where all different and you'll be dead before you lay a hand on anyone" I watched in amusement as his face molded into a confused look, then a smile spread across his pale skin. "Don't worry I know all your secrets and I will have your heart honey" He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me so close I could feel his lips brush my ear "even if it's ripped right out of your chest." It looked like he was going to let me go but he pulled me closer and fiercely kissed me. I gaged in my mouth then pushed him away, using my supernatural strength and sent Brody flying till he hit the far wall and crimped on the ground. He sat there for a minute then slowly rose to his feet and started laughing, big laughs that come from the stomach, and walked off into the crowd then just disappeared. After a minute of complete silence, strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a death gipping hug. "Are you alright?" James whispered in my ear but I faintly heard him, my mind was on how he knew our secret and how he could possibly be the vampire hunter. "Rachel are you alright?" James whipped me around and shock me till I looked up into his eyes. "He didn't do anything to you did he?" James was demanding but now I was looking at Mare and Ash who were back sitting in there seat soothing each other with words I couldn't focus on. I looked around to all my friends, each of them looking at each other in bewilderment and fear well all accepted Kelly how was sitting there with her face molded in confusion and fear for her friends all of this is my fault because I didn't accept Brody. "Rachel!" James screamed making my head along with everyone else's snap in our direction. "Rachel? What's wrong? Why aren't you saying anything?" I focused on James's words but they made no sense, they were all just a bunch of gibberish. "I'm sorry" I quickly kissed James then slid out of his grip. "I love you and only you, never forget that" I talked as I started walking backwards. "Rachel where are you going?" Raquel called but I just shock my head and continued to back up but one voice stopped me. "Let her go" Everyone's head looked in Morgead direction. "She thinks it's her fault all this happened and she wants to go fix it, there's nothing you can do to stop her." Morgead looked me in the eyes and I saw something I never would have thought I'd see from him. He had that proud look in his eyes, it was hard to make out but it was there. "So let her go" I nodded to Morgead then toke off running, leaving everyone I love behind, even Morgead.

She left. Why did she leave? I should fallow her, make sure she's alright. James thought as he made a move to fallow her all too fast disappearing figure. He toke to step forward and was so concentrated on fallowing Rachel he didn't noticed a figure move in front of him before he was on the ground, flat on his ass. James growled up at his attacker and felt he fangs slip out and slightly puncture his lower lip. "Move" James's voice was hard and commanding as he stared up at Morgead who was blocking his way. "No, Rachel needs to be alone right now and she needs to realize her mistakes" Morgead's voice was just as hard but his face shown with understanding. "Move!" James hissed, "No". James jumped up and grabbed Morgead around the neck and pinned him to the wall, not even considering that he was at a high school with a cafeteria full of human teenagers. "I thought you hated her, wanted revenge. What's with the change of heart? Why are you standing in my way?" James whispered low and deadly. "I still do hate her, she needs to realize her mistakes and fix them." "What mistakes?" Mare can up behind James and looked directly at Morgead. "Out of all of us I thought you would understand the most, because you know that Brody threatened to kill you and his he can't get to you with everyone standing here and if he really knew are secret then he's going to tell someone and then it's going to spared around and eventually get to the counsel and guess what, they'll kill all of us and Rachel just happened to notice that and left." Morgead smug smile formed on his lips. "How is she going to stop Brody from talking to someone?" Raquel came up behind James on the other side of him. "Tell me Morgead how?" Raquel crossed her arms and starred at Morgead with the eyes of the cat. "She's probably going to suck up to him, you know tell him he's all mighty and that she dumped the trash and came crawling to him like he said she would" Morgead eyes fell on James' as James shock violently. "No I won't allow it" James tightened him grip on Morgead throat and chucked him across the room, making him land head first onto a table. The table on the other side of the room groaned and split in two, James toke that time that everyone was concentrated on Morgead to slip out of the crowd and towards the exit where Rachel had disappeared in.

Running as fast as I could without using my vampire speed, I made it to the parking lot, but where do I go from here? It's my fault everyone in trouble but how do I stop it? Well there are only two answers, either kill Brody or go to him. If he's the vampire hunter then I don't think I could kill him by myself, but I could take him and maybe I could defeat him and maybe he'll kill me. Could I leave this world knowing everyone I love is here? Could I leave James? To save my friends lives yes I could, I have too. I know where Brody's house is, maybe I could wait there for him and try a sneak attack, it's got to work, and I would go down without a fight. Now that I made up my mind, how do I go anywhere? I don't have a car and there are no taxi services in Bloomington, I guess I could walk. I started down the parking lot heading to Brody's house, he lives in the center of town, and that's about an hour walk. Well might as well enjoy it I said to myself and walked down the winding path to my possible doom.

I looked everywhere for Rachel and I couldn't find her anywhere, not even at home. James was sitting in French class, with his shoulders slumped, and in the mood to rip someone's throat out, hopefully Brody's. James kept looking at the door; almost certain he'd see Rachel walk in with Brody by her side. She's would only do it 'cause she thinks she put us in danger and it's not true. The final bell rang and I jumped from my seat and quickly gathered my belonging the rushed out the door only to be stopped by Quinn and everyone else "Where are you headed?" Quinn crossed him arms over his chest and looked at me with bottomless black eyes. "I'm going to find Rachel, so move" James started to push around Quinn when Morgead appeared in front of him. "Nowhere going home, Rachel might be there or she could have been there also you need to feed and we need to get are heads together. We can't just go running all around town, like chickens with their heads cut off, we have to think about where she might have gone to". "Why should I trust you?" James scowled. "Don't trust me, but it will take longer to look for her your way and she might even be at the cottage, so come on" Quinn said from behind me but I didn't move. "James if you really want to find Rachel you'll come home, feed, and calm down so please come." Mare walked around Morgead and looked up into James's eyes. "Please" She offered her hand and James just stared at it until his hand twitched and moved to clasp Mare's tiny hand. She smiled up at him and began walking to the parking lot. "How did she end up doing it and we couldn't even get him to blink?" Morgead whispered to Quinn, "I don't know but we should ask Mary-Lynette some time". They got home and James jumped out of the car and ran around the house and yard using vampire speed, by the time everyone was out of the car James was back looking stricken. "She's not here!" James's raged "Dude chill a bit, have a drink. We'll find her but first we need to calm down." Morgead said. "Calm Down!" James screamed "How the hell can I calm down when my soulmate is out there with a vampire hunter and you where the one who let her leave!" James advanced on Morgead with fire in his eyes "Hey James calm down" Ash stepped up and put a hand on James's shoulder and that was a very bad idea. James spun on him and punched him hard enough to render Ash unconscious. "James" Mare stepped forward and looked up at James with calm blue eyes, she wasn't even scared when James's eyes flashed sliver. Mare slowly put a hand on James's shoulder and stepped closer, making sure she stepped over Ash's limp body. "James, we will find Rachel ok? I promise we will, if we don't then you can go all rage but right now is not the time." Mare's voice was soft but strong and she looked at James with nothing bout confidence. "If you want to find Rachel then you need to work with us, not against us. We are not your enemies here, Brody is and we need you to calm down and use your brain so we can find Rachel, we can't have you going around and nocking people unconscious, we are your friends and where here to help you. Now you need to take a deep breath and calm down, use your brain, that's something Rachel would want you to do right?" Mary-Lynette looked up in James's now soft emerald green eyes as he nodded yes. "Ok good now, go inside and have something to drink" Mare backed up as James stepped over Ash's body and walked inside. "How do you do it?" Quinn asked "Sometimes people need to hear the truth and not be pushed around, they need to understand, and you guys might want to go in there, because I got him to drink but I don't know how much he'll take" Morgead looked nervous and ran into the house, Raquel rolled her eyes and walked in the house leaving Quinn, Mare, Jez and an unconscious Ash outside. "You guys can go in, I'll just wait here till Ash wakes up". "I'll stay I need to train." Jez walked over the grassy part of the property and began throwing punches in the air. Quinn just shrugged and began walking to the door when something jumped down from a nearby tree and hit Quinn right under the jaw. Throwing him backwards and land by Ash unconscious. Mare looked up in time to see a girl with strawberry blond and wicked gray eyes come at me, "Night Mare" and with that the world turned black.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own The Night World.

Rachel stud outside of Brody's sunny yellow house, its bright color and welcome mat which lad in front of the huge metal double doors almost looked inviting. Almost. Reaching for the door handle I busted the lock and slipped inside. A quick survey of the room determined that I'm here alone. As quiet as a mouse I sneaked upstairs and quickly peeked in all the rooms. I got to the end and opened the door only to have a face stare back at me.

"I thought you'd never show up" Brody sang from inside his room as I struggled to get my breathing under control.

"How did you know I was coming?" stepping forward so I was face to face with him. "I could hear you ever since you busted the lock." He sneered

"You heard me coming bout ….how?" I was searching through my head, trying to find and explanation. Then it hit me.

"You're a vampire, for how long?"

"300 years" his face lite up as mine dropped. Fighting to keep my voice steady I asked "Why are you here?"

"A friend needed my help" he shrugged, sat down on the bed, and patted the spot beside him. Standing my ground, I eyed him curiously

"Who"

"Now Rachel", Brody shook his head as if in disapproval "If I tell you that, then I wouldn't have the joy seeing you and your friends run around with your heads cut off now would I?" his face illuminated with joy in seeing me scrum.

"Fine but at least tell me why he/she wanted you here?" I plead

"Isn't it obvious? To keep the wild power distracted well she takes out your friends, then once that's done, we take you to Hunter Redfern and watch as he rips your head off" I stud and started at Brody, till it dawned on me that he make a mistake.

"She?" Watching as his face flickered with surprise. "So it's a girl, the vampire hunter is a girl. Well it has to be someone new…." My voice broke as I realized what was going on. "Kelly. Kelly Richardson. She's the vampire hunter and you two are working for Hunter to get one of the wild powers to kill them…"

"One of them?" Brody looked bewildered and slightly nervous.

"Oh you don't know? Well there is another wild power here with me." Smiling smugly I reached behind me to pull out the stake that we found a few days ago in the gym.

"Now you can either let me leave and I would have to use this or we can do it the hard way, where I stab this through your heart and watch you bleed" I sneered and slightly advanced.  
Brody looked nervous then hid it with a gut wrenching laugh. "You think you can take on a 500 hundred year old vampire" He fell to the floor basically rolling in laughter.

"Your right I don't think I can. I know" Smiling smugly I lunged.

"My head hurts" I complained to myself as I sat up and opened my eyes.

"Where am I?" I asked to myself as I scanned the area.

"Mary-Lynnette!" a deep voice called and no sooner tight, warm arms wrapped around me.

"Ash?" I looked up at the blond headed soulmate. "Where are we?"

"That's a good question" another voice mumbled from the other side of the room.

"Quinn?" I peered at the dark figure in the shadows, "is there anybody else here?" before he could answer the heavy steel door flew open and chucked somebody inside with a grunt, then slammed the door. Scrambling up a reached for the person they threw in, her long black hair covered her face. She looked beat and worn.

"Raquel!" I screeched, pushed Ash's arms away from me and jumped up. "Are you alright? Do you need help? Is anything bleeding? Broken-"

"Mare calm down, I'm alright" She huffed and slowly sat up. In a flashed of light Quinn was by Raquel's side, checking her over. When he found nothing, he hugged her so tightly it looked like she was going to snap.

"How'd she catch you?" Quinn asked well pulling away slightly to look at her.

"Once she knocked Mare out, she ran with you, Ash and Mare. Then she came back later to get the rest of us I guess but we were ready. She had about 20 thugs with her. She got to James and he almost died, but I stepped in and then got hit with a piece of wood from behind and passed out. Kelly must have ran with me well the others where to busy fighting." Raquel just shrugged, got up out of Quinn's arms and began searching the room.

"You won't find anything" Ash came up behind Raquel and watched her survey the room "Quinn and I already did well Mare was still knocked out and you weren't here yet." Ash said  
Raquel huffed "Well then, we wait"

This is wonderful. Raquel, Quinn, Mare and Ash are gone. Not to menschen that Rachel is still missing. James grumbled to himself, flopped down on the couch and buried his hands in his face.

"What's up?" an annoying voice called from behind me. "Oh poor baby, sitting there, curled up in a ball, wining on how he got his butt kicked" The voice laughed in spite of its self. The voice was right, if I hadn't been distracted, then Raquel wouldn't have come up to help me, and she wouldn't have been kidnapped. This is my entire fault.

"Morgead shut up and leave James alone" Jez walked in and snapped at Morgead.

"Aww, but it is fun!" He pouted.

"Do I have to remind you that you cried over me?" Jez teased

"Well you basically died!" Morgead yelled back

"Rachel is missing in action, Quinn, Ash, Mare, and Raquel are all kidnapped, and you feel like teasing him?" She snapped back

"It's his fault" He complained

"What would happen if I got kidnapped or went missing? What would you do? Because I bet you on my life you would be in the same position" With that James heard boots stomp on the wooden floor and the back door slam shut.

"Jez wait!" Morgead called and ran after her leaving me alone in the house to drown in my own sorrows. A scream ripped through the air ringing my ears to the max. Sprinting outside, I got to the backyard fast enough to see someone beat Morgead senseless well the girl from last night ran with an unconscious Jez in her arms.

"Jez!" Morgead cried and tried to crawl away from the werewolf who was beating him. The wolf brought down a heavy wooden club to Morgead arm and with a huge crack, Morgead's arms went limp as he cried out in pain. I pulled a sliver dagger out of my back pocket and flung it at the wolf; I sprinted to Morgead as the wolf fell off him, shirking out in pain as the dagger split his skull in two.

"Morgead are you ok?" I pulled him off the ground and held him back as he tried to run after Kelly and Jez.

"Get off me! I have to find Jez, I HAVE too!" Morgead screamed and began pounding at my arm.

"No we have to regroup and heal, Morgead listen to me!" I yelled in his face and shook him till he looked at me with watery green eyes.

"We will find Jez and all the others, that's a promise. But first we need a plan and you need to heal. I remember you telling me that we can't go running around with our heads cut off, looking for where she hid them. Ok? We need to work together and once we get everyone back then we can go back to ripping each other's throats out ok?" Morgead nodded and we headed towards the house, we will find everyone and hopefully soon.

He was fast, faster than I thought. I landed with a heavy crash in the spot he was just seconds ago.

"Haha you really think you can hurt me?" he laughed and stomped down hard on my stomach. My vision blurred red as a sickening crack echoed through the room. Rolling on to my side so I could protect my insides but brody changed targets and kicked my back. Sharp painful crakes filled the air as my spine wrenched out of place. I realized someone was screaming, loud ear piercing screams that got drowned out by the intense fire that got lit on my spine and ribs. I knew it was only minutes but it seemed like hours, laying here curled in a ball. The burning died a little and that's when I noticed that he wasn't kicking my anymore but was looking out the window, his lips where moving but no sound was made. The burning turned into an ache and I knew I had to change now if I want to make it out of here alive. Slowly I changed, the pushing and pulling of my bones and muscles almost felt comforting, and before I knew it I was laying on the floor with a new view on the room, taking in all the shape angles and colors. Brody's words flowed to me like a lullaby soft and smooth.

"You have no idea how much I wish I could kill you, but that would be against Hunter's word and I never disobey Hunter-." The rest of his words got cut of when I jumped on his back and ripped my teeth into his neck. They shredded the skin easily, and not long later his blood gushed into my mouth. Brody gave a scream of surprise and pain as he fell to his knees and tried to rip me off by tearing at my back with his hands. He was so close to death I could feel it but just then, as my canines where about to rip his spine in half, he gripped my head and pulled until I gave a cry of agony and let go. He flipped me into my back and kicked and punched me until I turned into my half and half form.

"You bitch" He yelled at my face and kicked me in the jaw.  
"I can't kill you but I can torture you until you're so close to dying then I can heal you and do it all again." Laying on the floor, facing his bed, I notice something just an arm's length away. A stake. Reaching for It, I grabbed it just in time and turned around to see Brody leaning over to pick me up. Ramming it up with all the force I had in my I heard a cry of agony, the stake had hit home. Brody staggered back two steps before falling to the floor. He was dying just not very quickly, I guess that was happens to old vampires.

I crawled over to where he laid "End it, please it hurts" his voice was just above a whisper but I heard it as clear as day.

"Tell me one thing first, where is Kelly hiding?" he just looked up at me and smiled. "I will never tell you" He spat

"Tell me" I crooned "And I'll end you pain" that seemed to work, he smiled and said. "An abounded ware house at the north edge of town, the place is crawling with grads" his voice broke and the light was starting to fade in his eyes. "It hurts, end it" he pleaded. I reached into my jacket and drew a Katana sword. It was my weapon of choice. It's a double edged blade, made in japan and also known as the Samurai sword.

"I'm sorry" I said and brought the sword down, closing my eyes in the process, the last thing I heard was a sharp intake of breath and then….silence.

Mare's P.O.V

It's been about two days since they threw us in here. Jez can a little while ago and she seemed very mad about being locked up in here.

"I can't believe I never got to hit her, not once." Jez grumbled "She really quick and strong, knocked me out cold when I stepped out of the door and I hate to think what Morgead and James are doing. Probably ripping each other's throats out." Jez has been talking like that since the minute she woke up and it was driving everyone crazy. Because the people who kidnapped us seemed to only want the humans to survive, they have been bring human food and no blood for the vampires, so the vampires have been feeding off of their soulmates a little at a time. It seemed to be working for now but we can only hope and pray that Morgead, James, or Rachel will come and save us.

I stumbled home after the fight with Brody; it had both drained me mentally and physically. I knew that probably half of my body was shattered but right now I don't care, I needed to get home. It was dark when I stepped through the front door of the cabin, all the lights where off and it seemed eerily quiet.  
"James?" I yelled "Mary-Lynette? Ash? Anyone?" I flash of something moved on my left, turning all I saw was shadows.  
"Hello" I began to walk, only to trip and fall over something soft and plushy. Pushing myself into a sitting position, I reached inside my pocket and grabbed my mini-flash light that was hooked onto my key chain. I shone the light towards the thing that I tripped over and horror stuck me. A gut wrenching scream filled the air as I stumbled away from the body, dropping my flash light in the proses and rendering me in darkness. It was a body, bloodied and without a head; scrambling up someone gabbed me from behind. I whirled and smacked the person behind me, it made a familiar grunt as I turned again to kick it in the head. The lights flew on, making me blind so I over judged me kick and fell flat on my already shattered ass. Someone was swearing under their breath and as my eyes adjusted, I saw, to my surprise, that it was Morgead.  
"Morgead?" I asked and crawled closer so I could look at his face.  
"Who else do you think it would be?" he spat  
"An alien robot from outer space" I managed a smile but his look stayed dark.  
"Where is everyone? Why are you just here? And why is the house trashed?"  
"First question, where is everyone? Well they're kidnapped by Kelly. Second question, why are you just here? Well because everyone is kidnapped and also James is here with me-.  
"James is here?" I practically yelled  
"And third" Morgead carried on as if he didn't hear me, "why is the house trashed? Well Kelly brought her forces here and we fought, that was when Raquel got napped."  
"Where's James?" I made my voice as demanding as I could.  
"Right here" I whirled, sucking in a deep breath, and focused my eyes on the sight ahead. James was bloody and warn. His shirt sticky with dark, red rust; his hair plastered to his face with sweat and he was limping slightly. His Emerald green eyes were dim and tired, with purple bruises shadowing his eyes, making him look drained. My mouth gapped opened but the words I had planned to say to him where lost. My throat closed and all that escaped my mouth was a rush of air. How did I think that he was going to come rushing to me when all I did was run away from him. He probably hates me.  
She's here, she's really here, what am I going to say? How are you? That seemed stupid and out of the question. I watched as she opened her delicate, full pink lips and waited, waited for anger, waited for happiness, joy, anything. But her mouth closed and no words where said, they were lost in the air. I cased my eyes downward, unable to meet her sliver-blue eyes. Those eyes that where steady and never wavered, they could kill you in an instant, or full your heart with joy. Rachel made a grunting sound and slowly stud up, as she did I noticed the things I missed before, like how the shirt and jeans where ripped to shreds. Long red mark racked her face and how her right eye was starting to swell and turn an ugly purple color. She was cradling her left arm and instead of standing with a straight back, she was slouching forward as if something had hit her repeatedly. My anger boiled, it sky rocketed into a dangerous zone, and it also helped me snap out of my daze.  
"What happened?" My voice was cold and calm, the most dangerous of all. Her head snapped up, but that seemed to have been a bad idea because she grunted and fell forward. I caught her inches from the ground and slowly turned her over to face me. Morgead moved forward with anticipation as I laid Rachel's head on my lap and brushed some hair out of her face.  
"What happened?" I asked again and looked down at her with concern. She smiled weakly as the color in her eyes seemed to drain out of her; it was like her spirit was leaving.  
"Brody happened" her voice was just above a whisper

"Brody?" Morgead snapped "is he here? Show yourself Brody!" Morgead yelled and moved around the room. When he came back, Rachel looked up at him and a ghostly smile spread on her dry, rosy pink lips.

"No" She chocked and coughed up some blood. Both me and Morgead reached out and soothed her, it was a little strange on Morgead's part considering he's always threating her and pushing her around. Rachel heaved one last time, then stopped and slowly whipped the ruby blood that drizzled on her mouth and chin. "Brody's dead I killed him-" She heaved again as blood sprayed on Morgead. He didn't even seem to notice, Morgead was looking down at Rachel with great concern, just like a brother would.  
"Rachel, what's wrong, are you hurt?" I voiced my concern and watched as she dragged her eyes away from Morgead to look up at me. She toke a shallow breath and said "No Jamie I'm not ok" Then she was gone. Her eyes fluttered closed and her face relaxed.

I lost track of the days, but I knew that I should open my eyes soon; it's just so peaceful here, floating in my mind. Everything was calm; there was no one to threaten my life or my friends and no sadness. Just peace. I always hear voices, they sound familiar, but I couldn't say who was talking to me.  
"Rachel, can you hear me? Come back Rachel. Everyone needs you, I need you. Please come back." That voice has been talking to my since I closed my eyes. I couldn't tell you who it is but I really wanted to make the voice happy, it was like, every time the voice talked, my heart fluttered. But the voice has been depressed and that shattered my heart. All I wanted to do was make that pain go away. I only remember a few things, my memories are always across a bridge that I can't seem to cross. Sometimes memories float to me and I get glimpses of what happened. There are only a few pieces missing from the puzzle and once I find those pieces, I might be able to bring happiness to that voice. I remember the fight and the injuries, I guess the injuries where worst, and then I thought, I remember a body and people. I can't see the faces to those people just the shape, I remember falling and someone holding me and another faceless figure was stroking my hand, then nothing, the memories cut off.  
"Please Rachel please." The voice was right beside my ear, like the persons head was laying down with mine.  
"James, take a rest, she's not going anywhere" A voice said from ten feet away. James. I knew that name, it was something special. Memories rushed towards me, memories of my and James. Us on the swing set and me falling scraping my knee, then the day I befriend him, our first kiss. James was my soulmate.  
"No Morgead, I need to be here." Morgead, I knew that name too. The guy who pushed me and threatened me; He dumped water down my back and I knocked him out cold. Before I passed out, he was there; he was the one stroking my hand.  
"James, you really need to leave. We have a battle to win." Morgead whispered. Battle? Oh right, a battle against Kelly and Hunter. They took are friends, Ash, Mare, Raquel, Quinn and Jez and we need to get them back.  
"No I'm not leaving"  
"James" Morgead voice toke a dangerous tone  
"No" James was stubborn; I knew he wasn't going to leave my side till I was better. There was a crash and some grunting, I knew they were fighting and I needed to stop it or they're going to keep fighting until the house comes down. Maybe not even then. I burst my eyes open and sat up, it took a minute for my eyes to adjust, but when they did I was shocked. I was still in my bloodied clothes and my left arm throbbed slightly but otherwise, I was fine. I saw the guys before they saw me, they were still in the clothes I last saw them in but there hair wasn't brushed and it looked like they hadn't had a shower in a few days either.  
"STOP" I yelled the guys stop instantly and stared up at me with big round eyes", and help me down" James was at my side in an instant and carefully lifted me up on to my feet. "Oh Rachel" James buried his head in my neck.  
"No time for that, we need to prepare" I pushed James away and walked out of the room"  
"Has she ever done that before?" Morgead asked  
"No"  
"Should we be scared?"  
"Yes" then James jumped up and ran after Rachel with Morgead in tow. Walking was torture, but I made it down the stairs to the kitchen table, which the guys fixed and set up again. I placed my hands on the table then turned around to face the guys.  
"We need weapons, what do we got here?" I asked the guys. They looked at each other and back at me, both of them never said a word.  
"Well?" I pressed.  
"Your Katana, a few stakes, a bow and some arrows, some silver and iron knifes and four loaded guns with wood, silver and iron bullets." Morgead said well slumping in his chair.  
"Damn" I cursed, both the guys raised their eye brows at me. "It will have to do, grab all the weapons and gear, I know where Kelly is hiding and where they are keeping our friends." James went to go get the gear but Morgead stayed there, staring at me, just staring.  
His face hardened and his eyes turned into green icicles. "You knew where they were and you didn't say anything!" he raged  
I sighed, I knew something like this was going to happen. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but if you couldn't tell I was kind of in a coma." Morgead's face softened a bit. "But I have a question, why were you stroking my hand? Like when I passed out." He gave me a weird look, then realization crossed his face.  
"Umm…I…well…" he kept stuttering, and I was getting seriously weak. My legs gave out and I was falling towards the floor at an alarming rate. Arms went around my head and back, cradling me, slowly lowering me to the floor. I realized my eyes where closed and when I opened them, Morgead was there, holding me.  
"Maybe you should go back to bed and let James and I handle this one."  
"No" I pushed myself up but leaned against his arms. "I know the safest way in and out, when Brody died, I looked around in his room and found a map of the ware house. I just need a few minutes to get my strength back." I tried to stand, but I had to put all my weight on Morgead.  
"I'm taking you to bed" he began to scope me up but I pushed away from him and almost fell again. "No" I mumbled, shaking my head. He sighed and stepped closer and I stepped back. I knew he could catch me with ease. "No Morgead, I need to do this. I have to do this." Again he sighed and said, "let me give you some energy then"  
"How do I know you won't just grab me and carry me to bed?"  
"You don't" he shrugged. I don't know what got me to trust him, but he put his fingers to my fore head and before I knew it, I was just bundling with energy. He pulled back and smiled at me. Not an evil smile, or a deceiving smile. Just a simple smile that lite up his whole face and I couldn't help but smile back. "I was stoking your hand because it felt right, not in a soulmate way, but in a brotherly way. Is that alright?" He pushed back some of my hair that had fallen in my eyes. "Yes" I said and that surprised both of us. Then we heard James coming down the stairs and we jumped apart.  
"I grabbed everything, and by the way thanks for the help." James remarked sarcastically. His arms filled with our weapons.  
"Alright" I jumped towards James and grabbed most of the gear. I dug out my stuff then throw some of it to Morgead and then James once he put down the weapons. "Get dressed, grab your weapons and met back out here in fifteen minutes."  
We were so close, so close. I just wanted to fly through those doors and rescue everybody. The building was in sight, I was running in front of the guys. I was almost out of the cover of the trees when arms wrapped around my middle and dragged me back. A strong hand was covering my mouth but I wouldn't have screamed anyway. Sparks flew up when he touched my skin. I knew it was James. When he finally let go of me, I turned, crossed my arms and waited for an explanation. Morgead was almost doing the same thing, he looked really impatient.  
James sighed and said one word that made me want to bash my head against a rock. "Guards." I can't believe it. I knew about the guards and totally forgot to say anything about them. It must have shown on my face because James and Morgead where both looking at me funny. "The entrance is around back, it's underground."  
"How do we get in?" James asked.  
I thought back to the map, it was stupid of me to not bring it. "There is a way to get to the underground tunnels. It's that way, east" I pointed and started heading that way when James grabbed my arm and began pulling me back. ~No~ He said through our link. I sighed, I knew he just wanted to protect me but I can handle myself. With a quick smile I changed into my half form and hissed. James jumped back at the sudden change then laughed. ~its ok~ I said via telepathy, ~I can handle myself. ~ James sighed but nodded. I looked back at Morgead who was now tapping his foot. Smiling slightly and ran. I knew both the guys could keep up, but I was faster. I arrived at the man hole that would lead us down into the tunnels. I stud there waiting for the guys, now tapping my foot. When they finally showed up, I had the lid off the hole and was already down.  
"Rachel?" James whispered  
~Down here~ I said through our connection. A second later, Morgead and James landed lightly beside me.  
"This way" I turned right and lead the guys through a series of tunnels until we came upon a heavy steel door with four guards guarding the door. We turned back around the corner and started to discuss a plan.  
"I say we just rush them, we can take them." Of course that would be Morgead's plan.  
"It's too easy, Kelly and Hunter are a lot smarter than that. There must be something we're missing." I reasoned. I looked around the corner and studied everything. That's when I noticed the distressed call button on all of the officers, one press of that button and who knows how many guards will show up.


End file.
